St. Joseph’s College opens SkyRim Arena
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St. Joseph’s College, Colombo declared opened the ‘SkyRim Arena’, a new state-of-the-art sporting arena of the school’s 20 year old Indoor Sports Complex with the latest addition of brand new basketball and tennis courts, last Tuesday. Located on the banks of the Beira Lake, the new arena is a revamped, state-of-the-art version of the school’s 20 year old Indoor Sports Complex, with the latest addition of brand new basketball and tennis courts. Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure and former Josephian Harin Fernando was the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony.
The SkyRim Arena was proposed by the school’s Rector, Fr. Travis Gabriel and implemented by its Sports Council led by Chairman Brian Obeyesekere. It was built over a year’s period with generous support from the council, parents, staff, well-wishers, the mercantile sports sector and corporate donors. St. Joseph’s can lay claim to a rich sporting legacy handed down through generations of Josephians who have excelled at sports. Cricket, Swimming and Basketball in particular have been the school’s core strengths; the school has produced national level players in all three sports, including Sri Lanka’s favourite all-rounder and current cricket team captain Angelo Matthews.
Minister Fernando shared his thoughts on the new complex at the event, adding that he was pleased to see the school’s continued commitment to investing in its infrastructure and sporting talent. “St. Joseph’s has produced many great sportsmen over the decades, and I am confident that this will continue to be the case in years to come. I am so glad to be able to declare this open alongside those from the school who have worked day and night to make this a possibility. I look forward to seeing many more Josephians excel in their chosen sport,” he said.
The arena will serve as stamping ground for young Josephian sportsmen fulfilling their school’s rich legacy of sporting excellence. When the indoor complex was first launched in March 1996 it was equipped with Badminton, Volleyball and Netball courts, a gymnasium, and a Basketball court in addition to the existing squashing courts, practice grounds and boat house. Rev. Fr. Victor Silva envisioned his players having access to more facilities in order to reach their best potential and as such founded the Sports Council during his tenure as the Rector of the College.
“I have always believed in the power of sports to teach our students the soft-skills that they need to excel in life,” said Rev. Fr. Silva who was the guest of honour at the event. “With the launch of this revamped arena we hope to encourage more young Josephians to take up a sport of their choice. As you can see, they have several options to choose from.”The new additions improve on the existing facilities with the addition of two new courts for basketball and tennis appointed with the latest state of the art amenities. The Tennis court in particular has undergone a significant revamp with the old clay court replaced with a hard court, and the addition of an advanced system of floodlights.
The SkyRim arena will give equal prominence to all sports played by the school’s pupils, according to Fr. Rector Travis Gabriel. “Our aim is to produce well-rounded and educated young men who understand the importance of a healthy mind and body. This sports arena will be a place for all Josephians to find a sport that they enjoy, and learn to master it. We should be thankful to all our generous donors and partners for helping us to make this possible today,” he emphasised.
The name ‘SkyRim’ signifies the limitless possibilities, that young Josephians are encouraged to believe when it comes to excelling in their sport.
“It has truly been a privilege to watch our sports team grow over the years, and bring home many championship trophies,” stated Brian Obeyesekere. “We hope that these facilities will encourage them to develop those talents further and bring glory to the school, and to themselves.” Obeysekere also extended the invitation to the mercantile and corporate sectors, encouraging them to utilize the facilities in the arena to guide their employees towards a healthier lifestyle, and the sporting associations to make use of the facility for their sporting events. - NA
