Gajaba Supercross on August 27 at Saliyapura
Major General Shavendra Silva
With the wake of the annual Gajaba Supercross 2017 motorsport event which is set to take place next Sunday (27 August) at the Saliyapura Camp in Anuradhapura, the Colonel of the Regiment of Gajaba Regiment, Major General Shavendra Silva, expects the annual motorsport event to become more attractive and interest generating. In addition of expectations to give motorsports lovers a good show, the Major General hopes the Regiment’s intake process take a new turn by giving sportsmen with higher goals more opportunities.
Maj Gen Silva explained “If you thoroughly observe majority of the sportspersons in the country come from the Army, and quite a number of them are from the Gajaba Regiment. I, as the Colonel of the Regiment, would like to invite men, as we don’t have women in our regiment, to join us. We will help them reach the pinnacle of their respective sports discipline. Sri Lanka is a country without a war now, and we are in the process of recruiting sportsmen. We would like to have the best sportsmen in our country joining us. They can definitely improve and develop, the horizon will be open for them to perform and reach greater heights,” the decorated and highly respected Military official stated.
More than just a mere sporting event, the Gajaba Supercross, according to Major General Silva, is a platform to expose different abilities of the Regiment and its officers. Though the sole intention of holding this annual motorsport event was somewhat different from now when it was initiated in 1999, the Regiment is still moving forward with its customary exercise of providing the needy and deserved. Their intentions have amplified from one level to another.
The second oldest supercross event of the island, Gajaba Supercross is famous for its track, which is the fastest and longest gravel track available in Sri Lanka. Second to only the legendary Fox Hill Supercross, an annual motorsport event conducted by the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa, Gajaba Supercross has the ability to provide the best to its participants — competitors and spectators — as the Major General proudly claimed.
In addition this event is earmarked as the only motorsport event to happen annually for enthusiasts in the north central, northern, central and the Wanni regions. In an era where Sri Lanka is focusing highly on reconciliation, Major General Silva is certain that Gajaba Supercross can play a major role in leveling out differences among various ethnicities.
Next Sunday’s Gajaba Supercross will be the 16th installation since its inception in 1999 and over 200 outstanding drivers and riders are expected to take part in 25 events. The event is conducted in collaboration with Sri Lanka Autosports Drivers’ Association, also known as SLADA.