Exercise and Sports Sciences Program Resource Centre opened

by Upananda Jayasundera - Kandy Sports Special Corr.

Sports Sciences centre opened: The Exercise and Sport Sciences Program Resource Centre ceremonially opened on the 17th of January at the Peradeniya University, by Kathy Klugman, the High Commissioner for Australia, is a noteworthy achievement for the University of Peradeniya. This Resource Centre is equipped with up-to-date books and journals the area of exercise and sport sciences and also has state-of-the-art learning facilities such as e-learning.

This centre is part of a major program that includes conducting of Certificate/Diploma Courses in exercise and sport sciences and a Master of Science Degree Program in exercise and sport sciences at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya.

These courses will give students a proper grounding on the basic concepts of exercise and sport sciences and take them from the intermediate level to the advanced stages of the subject. Already a batch of 100 students is following the first Diploma Course in the Faculty.

The students are mainly teachers and sports coaches selected from different parts of the country. They show tremendous motivation in what they learn and they are expected to utilize the knowledge and skill they obtain by following these courses to improve the health and physical fitness of the Sri Lankan population. These students will take the message of health and fitness to the grassroots level and popularize it at both urban and rural level.

The Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP), which is managed by the Australian Sports Commission, assists all developing Commonwealth countries by providing broader assistance through a targeted small grants element. Grants are limited to a maximum of $A 20,000 for any single grant, so the number of projects that can be funded each year is restricted.

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Peradeniya was successful in its application for assistance in resourcing its capacities in the field of Sports and Exercise Science. The Australian Sports Commission has assisted the Faculty through purchasing books, journals, computers and workstations so that students have the benefit of access to global information, which they in turn can apply to their own professional development and their community sporting needs.

The Australian Sports Commission’s Mark McElligott, assisted by Dr. Jayantha Dassanayake at the University of Melbourne, assisted the Faculty of Medicine in sourcing the large shipment of printed resource material and will maintain their involvement until the final disbursement of grant funds.

In Sri Lanka, the subject of sport sciences is still in its infancy and there is a lack of knowledge in this subject. Quick access to the latest information is vital to enable Sri Lankan students to forge ahead and this resource facility specifically caters to this need. This centre will be open for anyone who wishes to expand knowledge in exercise and sport sciences, as well as to the students who are following the Exercise and Sports Sciences Programs at the University of Peradeniya.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. S.B.S. Abayakoon and the Deans of various faculties of the University of Peradeniya.