President Rajapaksa to open Kalutara Soccer stadium tomorrow

by Leslie FERNANDO

NEW STADIUM: Kalutara will have a modern stadium for the benefit of the soccer players together with other sportsmen and sportswomen of the area.

Vernon U. Fernando Sports Complex will be ceremonially opened by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa on October 12th Monday at 10.00 a.m. in Kalutara.

The 1st phase of this project was opened by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was the Prime Minister at that time on 13th October 2004.

It consisted of the pavilion, auditorium, gym, dormitory, rooms and office with computerized secretariat. The entire cost were borne by Manilal Fernando, the key figure of FFSL, Vice-President of AFC and Exco-Member of FIFA.

On Monday at 10 a.m., Phase Two of the Vernon U. Fernando Sports Complex will be inaugurated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the presence of Mohamed Bin Hammam, the President of Asian Football Confederation.

This will consists of pavilion, office complex, club houses for Kalutara Premier League clubs. The ground was redeveloped to host international matches in Kalutara. The cost of this project was borne by FIFA, AFC and Manilal Fernando.

Joseph S. Blatter, the FIFA President and Mohammed Bin Hamman initiated the FIFA / AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund after the tsunami devastation in 2004.

Out of the funds received for Sri Lanka, football centres were constructed at Mannar, Ampara, Kalutara, Galle, Badulla, Wattala, Colombo City, Norwood and Baddegama. FFSL constructed the German-Sri Lanka Football Complex at Matara with the donation received from German National Team as their response for tsunami reconstruction.On October 13 at 3.30 p.m., City Football complex will be declared open by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary.Mohamed Bin Hamman, the President AFC, Ms. Gigi-Oeri the Chairperson of FC Basel and the President of SCORT Foundation, Switzerland will also grace the occasion.Ms. Gigi-Oeri funded the construction of the FC Basel Pavilion at the City Football Complex while the funds received from FIFA/AFC the grounds were redeveloped with seating facilities, floodlights, a secretariat, gym, auditorium and dormitory. A Dialog Champions League match between Ratnam SC and Renown SC will be kicked-off soon after the opening ceremony.