Launch of Asoka’s ‘Legends All’ on Sept.9
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Asoka Goonetilleke, the award-winning regular contributing editor to the field of Sports Literature in Sri Lanka, will launch his 6th book titled ‘Legends All’ on September 8 at the BMICH, Colombo. ’Legends All’ is the first of its kind, portraying the life, times and achievements of 23 sports luminaries of Sri Lanka, in the international arena, including the Olympic Games. Goonetilleke’s love of Sri Lanka Sports Literature was ignited when he was planning to attend the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 as a journalist. Since then, he has authored 5 such books, but a handbook on Journalism was the first to go off the blocks in 1988.
‘Olympic Serisara’ in 2001, ‘Jagath Paapandu Soorathava’ in 2002, ‘Olvarasan’ in 2006 and ‘Palamuveniya’ in 2015 are his previous books on Sports Literature, which were widely acclaimed. Incidentally, his book ‘Palamuveniya’ won the Presidential Award for the Most Outstanding Sports Publication of the Year in 2015. He has also compiled books on Asian Athletic Grand Prix in 2013, ‘Historical & Modern Culture of Sports in Sri Lanka’, in 2005, and ‘The Tenth South Asian Games, Colombo’ in 2006. Goonetilleke , the airman turned journalist counts 37-years experience and became a full-time Sports Journalist in 1982, as the founder Sports Editor of the Divaina newspaper.
Goonetilleke soon became a household name, as he was able to revolutionise the style of Sports reporting in the Sinhala media. Being a Sports Journalist who had covered 6 successive Olympic Games and another nearly 50 internationals at home and abroad, including investigations and exposure of corrupt officials, paved the way for him to win the coveted Olympic award for Sports Journalism in 2004. ’Legends All’ will be launched at 4 pm, under the distinguished patronage of Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekera, while the keynote address will be delivered by Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundera. - SP