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Nalin,
simply the best rider today Nalin was educated at St. Anne's Kurunegala coincidently this school has produced a good number of racing riders. The Wedisinghe's too came from this school and one of them Udesh was his classmate. Nalin's first major race was in 1990 when he participated at the Pannala Goldwin Motor Cross on a bike MTX 200 Honda given to him by Lal Munasinghe, a friend of his. Nalin says he had no knowledge of motor racing when he participated but the placings motivated him to take things seriously. But financially he was handicapped. The next year (1991) at the same meet he met with an accident which put him in the shell for a considerable period. From 1991 to 1999 he kept away from the racing track as the finance involved was too much for him. He had no racing kit to wear. A racing kit cost approximately Rs. 25,000 the gloves another Rs 5,000 which he was unable to obtain. During this period he put up his own garage at his home town. When his friends were burning the racing track Nalin closed down his garage and came back to racing. His class mate Udesh lent him a bike CRM 250 Honda to take part in races. And the first meet he participated was the one at Narammala where he got a win and two second places. The same year at the Nuwara Eliya road race he did better coming first in the 250cc event and winning the open event. When he participated at the Foxhill Supercross that year, though being placed, he felt that he could do better than the other riders if he had concentrated more. In the year 2000 Nalin bought his own bike a CR 125 Honda- 89 model. He was given this bike at a price lower than the cost of which he is grateful to Wijeyananda Wedisinghe. He won almost all the races he participated Pannala, Talduwa, Foxhill, Narammala and the Kandy timing race, a race he participated for the first time. Last year he bought another bike CR 125 Yamaha 98 model and tasted success in all the races he participated going one step further by winning at the Gajaba Supercross held at Saliyapura Anuradhapura and the Kottawa Motor Cross. After these success Yunikon International Kurunegala came forward and presented him with a bike WR 400 Yamaha which was worth over Rs 400,000. But unfortunately due to a misunderstanding they took the bike back, he said. "I thank them for having given me a riding kit", he said with gratitude. Last year he was selected to participate at the Asian meet in China alongside two other riders Rakitha Wijetunge and Ananda Wedisinghe. Ten countries took part in this meet and Nalin was placed eighth and the other two finished beyond the 15th placings. Only the first 15 were given points. To go on the trip to China they had to find their own way and he is grateful to Gerard Abeysena and Feroz Mohamed, General Manger of Phoenix Plastics for giving him assistance. Early this year
Nalin was invited by the Goa Racing Association to train their riders.
He was there for ten days and he intends opening a training school
in the near future. He requests the minister to do the needful to
the riders and drivers in this country. He says a large amount of money is involved for all the meets and for the Foxhill he was financed by two of his friends Laksiri of Olga Motors in Homagama and Manoj Weerasinghe an engineer from Kottawa. Nalin won't be able to participate in most of the racing meets that are coming forward as he has been selected to participate at the Asian racing meet which begins on August 18 the first stage of five meetings. The meets he
will be participating are: August 18 in China, September 15 Japan,
September 22 Indonesia, October 13 Malaysia and December 1 Thailand. Veteran
Women's Cager Association formed This Association was formed by popular demand from the women who have played the game for the Schools and for Sri Lanka, but have no club to play the game. This Association has decided to help the players to form clubs and give whatever assistance to keep this game being played by women in Sri Lanka. All Basketball players over 25 years of age and who have played the game for any school are requested to enroll on or before 31st May 2002. The entry forms can be collected from Ms. Soraya Usuf, Hony. Secretary on Tel: 873337 or Ms. Ruvini J. Wickremanayake on Tel: 836208/780859 or Ms. Kasturi Wilson, Hony. Treasurer on Tel: 333320/503673. Water-polo
out of the pool Why 3rd place
to CDBA without game? No money
for tournaments but officials on foreign tours? Sri Lanka
disgraced |
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