Four ladies follow cricket coaching clinic in Badulla

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

For the first time in the Uva Province a level one cricket coaching clinic for cricket coaches was organised by the Sri Lanka Cricket in association with the Badulla District Cricket Association and the Uva Province Cricket Association at the Badulla esplanade.

This four-day coaching clinic was a roaring success with the 24 participants displaying tremendous interest which augurs well for future of the sport in the province as well as the district. Twenty four is the maximum number of participants for a coaching clinic of this nature and the Uva Province had its full quota and among them were four lady coaches.

Some of the cricket coaches who turned up for this clinic were from far flung areas in the districts of Moneragala, Ampara and Mahiyangana and in fact 15 of them turned up and they were arranged accommodation in Badulla by the President of the Badulla District Cricket Association, Minister Dilan Perera who is also the Secretary of the Uva Province Cricket Association. He is doing a tremendous amount of work to promote and develop this sport. The President of the Uva Province Cricket Association is Deputy Minister of Education Wijemuni de Soysa, another official who is taking a lot of interest in the promotion of cricket in the Uva Province.

Coaching conducted by SLC

The cricket coaching clinic was conducted by the officials of the Coaching Education Unit of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was headed by J.C. Gamage, Heshan de Mel, Duleep Samarasekera, Uva Provincial Coach Chamara Kodikara and also present were district cricket coaches Priyantha Weragoda (Ampara), Ajith Bandara (Badulla) and Kasun Maduranga (Moneragala).

The participants were put through their paces and an insight given on all aspects of cricket coaching, both oral and practical and also it extended into areas such as motivation, leadership, laws of cricket and emergency treatment in case of an injury.

At the conclusion of the clinic, a written, practical and oral tests were conducted and the successful candidates will be issued with certificates with the International Cricket Council logo and they will have the licence to coach in cricket. Among the participants was the Honorary Secretary of the Badulla District CA Leslie de Silva.

Cricket in Badulla was at one time dominated by planters in the district who participated in the Daily News trophy cricket tournament and at one stage, Badulla had two teams. There were other clubs participating in the local tournaments including a pirivena in Uduwara and also a club in Philillakade, Schools in Badulla too played cricket along with schools in Bandarawela, Welimada and Gurutalawa.

Game has spread

Now the game has spread to far flung areas with a start made in junior level where it has even penetrated into the land of the ancient people or the 'land of the Wannila Aththos in places like Hennanigala and Dehiattakandiya. The interest shown is keen and with more encouragement and guidance this sport should be more popular.

A point of interest at this coaching clinic was the participation of four ladies namely Indunil Pushpa (Wellawaya), Kaushalya Lakshitha (Badulla), Malika Karunaratne (Welimada) Danusha Hasanthika (Bandarawela). They all indicated their keenness to spread the game not only among the boys but also among the girls in their areas.

The Uva Provincial Cricket Coach, the former Vidyartha College, Kandy CC and Kandy Youths cricketer Chaminda Kodikara is doing a wonderful job in the province in visiting the far flung areas to develop cricket. Kodikara, it must be recalled, holds the Sri Lanka record for the most number of dismissals as a wicket-keeper. He had nine dismissals - 5 caught and 4 stumped in an innings, playing for Matale CC in an under 23 cricket tournament match.