Sports will help to establish lasting peace in country - Sidath
Wettimuny
By A. C. de Silva
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The top award...Malith Gunathilaka - the Schoolboy Cricketer of
the Year All-island (left) receives the award from chief guest
Mr. Sidath Wettimuny (centre) while on right is Mr. Raphael
Mollo - the Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company Limited. He
was also the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer All Island and
Best All-rounder All-Island. |
CRICKET AWARDS: Sri Lanka's cricketing great of not so long ago -
Sidath Wettimuny cut a pretty picture when he said that Sri Lanka's
cricket has come a long way and the encouragement given to young
cricketers will help them to perform better. Sidath, the third in the
Wettimuny clan to play for Sri Lanka, was the chief guest at the 29th
Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the year awards presentation at the
BMICH on Thursday.
He said that competitions such as the Observer-Bata Schoolboy
Cricketer of the Year and Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year
will 'encourage the young cricketers to work harder for the greater
glory of the school and the country.'
Wettimuny said that sports will also help the country in its efforts
to have lasting peace and paid a glowing tribute to former President of
South Africa - Nelson Mandela who was a champion mover for sports and
advocated that through sports peace can be achieved in any country.
The former Sri Lanka opening batsman Wettimuny spoke glowingly about
schools cricket in the country, but warned that the younger generation
must be taught the true meaning of sportsmanship and its values.
In this respect, the parents and masters in charge of young juniors
must tell the children that the most important thing in sports is not
merely the winning or losing aspects, but the attitude adopted by the
young players.
"There are great values in sports and the attitude adopted by the
youngsters will help them in later life to build a better society. "The
way we play the game on the field and how we conduct ourselves outside
the field are equally important. Fair play and sportsmanship off the
field are equally important." Wettimuny stressed.
"Play the game hard on the field, but be friends off the field."
Addressing the parents, Wettimuny made a plea: "Please teach the
youngsters why we play sports. Please do give some thought to play the
game of cricket."
Sidath Wettimuny who was associated with inter-school cricket for
quite a while, knows the value of inter-school cricket and thanked the
sponsors - Bata Shoe Company and Sunday Observer for keeping the
competition going for a long time.
The Observer-Bata show is so very competitive and the show "is the
mother of all cricketing awards," said compere Brian Thomas for whom it
was the baptism in compering the much looked forward to school cricket
show. Thomas did a wonderful job in his first effort.
Brian Thomas added that the Observer-Bata schoolboy cricket
competitions have brought out rich talent. Six Observer-Bata winners
were in the 1996 World Cup winning team and around 14 winners have
played for Sri Lanka.
A top - drawer musical show with ULTIMATE dishing out lively melodies
and those two lively guest stars Ronnie Leitch and Sunil Perera of
gypsies fame kept the large audience enthralled in the three-hour
entertainment package. There was also the dance troupe UPEKHA who
performed some eye-catching items chat-thrilled the audience. Bata's
team headed by Mahil Senaratne did a splendid job in the presentation of
the awards ceremony.
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