Uva gets Rs. 350m sports complex

It was a red letter day for sports in Uva when President Mahinda Rajapaksa opened the new sports complex at Vincent Dias Stadium in Badulla on Friday.

The new Uva Sports Complex in Badulla, built at a cost of Rs. 350 million, is a tremendous boost for sportsmen and women in Uva Province. The budding sportsmen and women in Badulla and Moneragala Districts need not travel to Kandy, Hambantota or Colombo any more as they have a modern stadium in their own province.

The new Uva Sports Complex in Badulla will provide facilities to 25 sports, including athletics, cricket, rugby, swimming and indoor sports such as volleyball, basketball and badminton. It also comprises of a top class swimming pool, fulfilling a long dream of simmers in Badulla, Bandarawela and Moneragala.

After opening the new indoor sports complex, the President also opened the new swimming pool complex, opening a new era in Uva sports. He also

witnessed the opening soccer match at the new venue. Associated with the President were Ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Dilan Perera, Governor of Uva and former Sports Minister C. Nanda Mathew and the Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa Maheepala Herath.

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said the President has instructed to built similar sports complexes in all other provinces.

"We have already completed a few provincial level stadia and district level stadia and the program will continue until every corner of the country gets a modern sports complex," the Minister said.

"The aim of the Government is to have a healthy society. Hence, we are investing on sports venues to offer people a better chance of indulging in sports and their daily work outs within their home towns. Our aim is to promote sports and built a healthy generation. The President is keen to complete these projects soon in the other provinces and districts as well," he said.

The new Sports Complex is a part of the Government's vision to have a fully-flagged sports complex in each of the nine provinces, enabling sportsmen and women in the far-flung areas to continue their training in the same province, without having to travel to Colombo for modern facilities.

The idea was mooted by President Rajapaksa to have a top level sports stadium complex in each province. Similarly, the next level sports complex will be built at each district so that the district level athletes could enjoy the best of facilities in the main town of their district.