Hambantota sports city can be a spur to growth
View(s):Sri Lanka is set to get its first fully-fledged sports academy with plans afoot to set up a body in Hambantota which will cater for everything from athletics and basketball to rugby and swimming.
The Hambantota Sports Club (HSC), the brainchild of Namal Rajapaksa, will get off the ground with former Sri Lanka rugby coach Ravin du Plessis running the show as its chief executive officer.
We met Du Plessis this week where he mapped out the vision of first son Rajapaksa and if first impressions are anything to go by, it seems Sri Lanka will soon have an academy which can be the catalyst behind turning this nation’s youth into regional champions.
The idea was born after Sri Lanka was awarded the hosting rights for the Asian Youth Games in 2017 in Hambantota by the Olympic Council of Asia which met last year in Macau.
The Asian Youth Games will by far be the biggest sporting event staged in this country. This month, 45 countries from Asia will send its youth to Nanjing, China for the second edition of this multi-sport event – the first was held in Singapore in 2009 – held every four years.
While the main focus will be on 2017, the Hambantota Sports Club will be more than just a spur for these major Games as it will also establish a solid foundation to groom future generations.
“This is a long-term project. Namal’s vision is to put in place a body which will provide an environment for the youth of this country to pursue their sporting ambitions,” Du Plessis said.
The South African who was the force behind Sri Lanka rugby’s ascension to the elite division in the Asian Five Nations next year – remember our superb campaign in April where we beat Taiwan, Thailand and Kazakhstan – was at one point tipped to take over a more permanent role with the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union and become its CEO.
But that got sidetracked when parliamentarian Rajapaksa, who was a member of that team, asked Du Plessis if he was willing to steer the ship towards accomplishing a long-held dream of turning village kids into champions.
Du Plessis was hooked immediately, excited by the challenge of bringing to fruition a vision which has the potential of turning this country into an international sporting force, not only in cricket but in other disciplines too.
“Everything I have seen so far in Sri Lanka is short-term and only focused at the high-end. For instance in schools rugby, it is all about the senior team, where all the money and resources go in, and nothing is done for the lower age groups. Our idea will be to focus on the grassroots,” Du Plessis said.
Starting from the under-13 age group, sports like basketball, tennis, in fact every sport which is in the Olympics, will come under the aegis of the parent body in Hambantota.
A sports city is expected to rise soon around the shadow of the cricket stadium in Hambantota and along with the hardware, the software will also be put in place where not only athletes but coaches too will be trained. Train a kid and only he or she benefits, but train a coach and thousands will benefit.
Having lived in Dubai before arriving in Sri Lanka, Du Plessis was involved in the setting up of Dubai Sports City which is where the International Cricket Council is headquartered. He is well aware of what a huge potential something on similar lines can bring this island nation.
Apart from fueling growth locally, an elite academy which caters to several sports with the focus being on grassroots can be a huge boon towards enticing outside interest. Sitting on India’s doorstep, we can become a service provider for our giant neighbour as it emerges from its sporting stupor.
Other than cricket, India’s sporting structure is primitive. If Sri Lanka can have a top-class academy staffed with expert coaches, it could be an attractive draw for other countries to send their youth to be trained and for competition here leading to beneficial cross-pollination.
“We want to tap into the growing Asian market one day,” says Du Plessis revealing the long-term goals.
But that is all in the future. The immediate aim is to get this project up-and-running. With rugby being the first love of Namal Rajapaksa, Hambantota Sports City will have this sport as its banner discipline.
The HSC Sharks, which will take part in the top league competition when the new rugby season kicks off later this year, will be the flag-bearer for the club. But unlike other clubs in the country, it will not be just about one sport.
All these ideas will need money. The government is already committed to providing the facilities for the Asian Youth Games in 2017. They will be built around the cricket stadium which be transformed into a sports city.
Billions of rupees will be needed. It was reported that a cabinet memorandum submitted in January by the Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had placed initial costs of providing the sporting infrastructure at Rs. 15 billion.
Du Plessis is hopeful the country’s private sector will come to the party and get involved. If Dialog can dish out RS.754 million to sponsor the country’s national men’s and women’s cricket teams for a period of three years – this is the largest sports sponsorship deal this country has seen – there is no reason not to believe that corporate backing will be lacking for what is essentially a far better goal.
Cricket is the spoiled brat of Sri Lanka. There are many other sports which are fully deserving of support and creating a sporting oasis in the Deep South does seem a great idea.
Sport can be a great tool to unify communities. We have already seen how cricket brings this all people together. So why not do it on a wider scale. With Namal Rajapaksa the driving force, this project has got the key ingredient in place.
Sport in Sri Lanka must make the most of it.
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