Shangri-La resort reaches out to Hambantota residents with kite flying festival
Hambantota: “Flying Dreams of Kids Come True” was the banner hung across the golf course adjacent to the Shangri-La’s Resort and Spa, Hambantota when a group of reporters entered the golf course last week to witness the biggest kite festival in Hambanthota. There were around 1000-1500 school kids mostly below the ages of 10 holding onto their beautifully designed multi colored kites against the gush of winds that blew across the field. The kids were accompanied by their parents or guardians, waiting impatiently till the countdown began.
Journalists could see the joyful faces of kids and toddlers, boys and girls screaming and running across on the golf course. It was a sunny morning with a clear blue sky last Saturday, ideal weather to host an event of this nature with wind blowing across the field. The kite festival started around 9.am when the General Manager of the Shangri-La’s Resort and Spa, Mehdi Serrour blew the whistle. The kites then rose up the skies while some took off, circled for a while and then nosed dived to the ground owing to faulty design while some kites refused to take off.
But most kids were thrilled to see their kites fluttering against the blue backdrop of the sky.
Some kites had designs of snakes and Hawks embedded in them. There were at least 100-150 kites in the air as far as spectators could recollect. All the kites were built with raw materials from the area. Malisha Sevvandi, a 9 year-old school girl said the principal of the school informed them to build kites and to take part in the competition. Kavindu Dissanayake, a 10 year-old boy from Dehigahalanda School at Hambantota said he built the kite himself and was happy to take part in the event. Meanwhile 10 winners were adjudged at the competition.
The overall winner of the kite completion was adjudged as Purna Methsara, a grade 4 student. The kids also danced to the music provided by a disc jockey (DJ). Hotel GM Mr. Serrour said the Kite Festival was a prelude to the opening of the Hambantota Shangri-La’s Resort and Spa in 100 days time. “Having brought the property in 2009 we built this resort with 300 luxury rooms with 21 suites during the past four years. This is the first Resort hotel in Sri Lanka with an 18 hole Golf Course.” The official opening of the Resort and Spa and the Golf Course is scheduled to be on June 1st first this year.
Around 400 persons will be employed at the resort and spa. The golf course has been built by a Frenchman and will start operating one month prior to the opening of the resort where professional golfers are expected to play, he said. Director of Sales, Shangri-La’s Resort and Spa Surangie Dunuwille said the resort has been built of a 53 hectore plot. The idea of organizing the kite festival was to get kids in the village to participate in an event organized by the resort. “We want to support them in the future as well.”