Hambantota Sports Club celebrates fruitful first year

by Jayasiri Deraniyagala

HAMBANTOTA GOES GAY......: Hambantota Sports Club celebrated there first year in operation albeit in a very quiet manner. However the results and rewards reaped during the year speaks volumes of its success in setting modern trends especially in the art of "professional sport coaching" with an efficient programme being run, one that the country as a whole much needed.

During this period the club's ideologies, its strategies and plans executed has been the delight of none other than the future of this country and the kids of our nation.

The programme which focuses on providing that all important opportunity for especially the under privileged kids has been the brain child of MP Namal Rajapaksa sporting its logo "We Make Champions".

The vision of Hambantota Sports Club is to eventually establish sport academies such as this with the aim of taking it to all corners of the island. The eventual drive is to go out into the rural areas and invite children of non-affluent communities and provide them opportunities to develop their sporting skills.

The club's focus is to ultimately be the trend setters in harnessing the sporting talents of kids, helping them to represent their schools in various form of sports and then eventually to go on and represent the country.

The programme is built with a holistic vision and the pathways firmly rooted by six pillars namely Nutrition and Hydration, Fitness and Conditioning, Tactical Awareness, Life Skills, Technical Knowledge and Mental Preparation.

Several talented kids have currently benefited with opportunities to enroll, receive professional coaching and resources with the intention of up skilling their talent from infancy. This no doubt should eventually level the playing field in the long term.

In its initial drive HSC through their schools programme reached over 100 and almost all schools in Galle. The drive is part of a greater scheme to finally reach out to over 300,000 children island wide.

The next stage will see the programme reaching cities such as Matara, Hambantota and Kurunegala.

Three sports introduced

The first year saw three sports been introduced initially, namely Rugby Football with practices held in Colombo and Galle, Tennis at the SLTA Courts and Basketball at Hendry Pedris Park.

The rugby coaching programme which currently has the biggest turn out is broken into four age group categories with Under 6-8 being "Beginning", Under 9-11 "Learning", Under 12-13 "Playing" and Under 14 and above as "Teenage Rugby" . They receive professional training and the required support from our former national coaches and current national players. Several guest coaches and international stars such as D.J. Forbes and Lote Raikabula have also assisted by providing many useful tips whenever an opportunity has been presented.

The junior players had several opportunities over the year to play friendly games against many schools in order to sharpen their skills, gain valuable experience and match practice.

The junior players from both academies also travelled to Colombo and Galle to play each other in friendly games too.

Sri Lanka as a nation has made great in roads in the sport of rugby football in the recent past. Both the senior and junior national sides are currently providing tough opposition to the top sides at Asian level both in the fifteen and seven a side versions of the game.

With the future of Sri Lankan rugby football looking bright, HSC hopes to focus on providing our junior players with that all important opportunity of gaining international exposure.

Exchange student programmes are in the offing with the ultimate goal of conducting several tournaments for players of all junior age groups representing world rugby academies in Colombo. The experience of enhancing the playing opportunities of our junior players against overseas students is one that certainly augurs well for the future.

Rugby seminar for 60 coaches

Another key aspect of this sport is harnessing the skills and competencies of rugby coaches, referees and administrators.

HSC along with the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association already conducted a seminar for over 60 coaches at the Racecourse Grounds during its first year of operation. Eventually even these officials are ear marked with overseas exchange programmes keeping in mind the overall development of the sport. With the first year out of the way and with the motivating results obtained thus far by Hambantota Sports Club, it appears that the country as a sporting nation is in safe hands with a successful, efficient and robust programme conducted such as this.