Malaysian with Sri Lankan roots re-elected to ICC Board
Mahinda Vallipuram
Mahinda Vallipuram, a Malaysian entrepreneur with Sri Lankan roots, has been re-elected as an Associate Member Director of the International Cricket Council (ICC), along with Imran Khwaja and Neil Speight.
Vallipuram also holds the top position of the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) and is also a vice president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia. He was born in Malaysia but his parents were born and bred in Kokuvil, Jaffna before moving to Singapore in 1934 and then to Malaysia in 1945.
“I’m proud to be part of the ICC, whilst holding positions at two top sports governing bodies in Malaysia. It’s also gives great pleasure to have my roots in Sri Lanka, where cricket is a passion,” stated Vallipuram.
His father, Vallipuram Kandiah, was born in Kondavil in 1917, and then moved to Kokuvil, while his grandparents hail from Urumberai, Jaffna.
“My mother was born in Kajang, Selangor in1927, and my father has left Sri Lanka in 1934 to work with Hume Pipes, before arriving in Malaysia in 1945 to join the plantation industry,” explained the entrepreneur, turned sports administrator.
Vallipuram has been an integral part of sports in Malaysia, cricket in particular, and has been a successful citizen of the country in many aspects. He will be working closely with Khwaja and Speight to grow the sport among Associate Members of the ICC and developing cricket in the region. Khwaja represents Singapore and was the deputy chairman of ICC behind N. Srinivasan while Speight currently sits on the CEC Committee as an Associate Representative and has previously been on the ICC Board representing Bermuda Cricket Board.
“Whilst I am humbled by the vote of confidence accorded to me by the Associate Members (AM) of the ICC, I am very much mindful of the task that lies ahead. I look forward to also working with the ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and Board members in building a sustainable global strategy. I believe, we can and we must provide targeted assistance to high performing AM countries, grow participation globally, encourage the growth of women in cricket and especially develop the sport at grassroots level globally to ensure a sustainable future,” added Vallipuram.