Sports

Sports

NSTTA team off to Bangkok
The Nationalised Services Table Tennis Association will be sending a team of 20 players (men and women) to participate in the FCC Challenge Cup tournament scheduled to be held from May 27 to June 2, 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand.
This is the maiden overseas tour being made by the NSTTA team which will give the players some international exposure.

The team- Ira Ruwanpathirana (People's Bank), Ajith Ratnayake (People's Bank), H. Silva (SLRC), P. Selvamohan (SLRC), Ama Suraweera (SLRC), W.M. Sarath (NSB), Prabath Indrajith (NSB), Waruna Gunawardena (NSB), P.P. Dassanayake (CPC), W.P.N. Dhammika (Ports Authority), M.M. Anurashantha (SLIC), H.K. Tilakananda (SLIC), G.L. Ratnasiri (EDB), R. Attanayake (Water Board), P.S. de Silva (Government Press), S. Chandrasena (Bank of Ceylon), P. Colombathanthri (Bank of Ceylon), H. Gamage (SLCTB). Chief de Mission-Wijesinghe Kumarage (NSB). Manager- B.R. Mallikaratne (Bank of Ceylon).
-MSA

Asian Congress on Sports Medicine to be staged here
The Sixth Asian Congress of Sports Medicine (Asian Federation of Sports Medicine) will be held in Sri Lanka from October 23 to 26, this year.

Sports Medicine in Asia, 2003 will be organised and conducted by Sri Lanka Sports Medicine Association in collaboration with the Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Sri Lanka School of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Sports Medicine Unit of the Ministry of Sports.

According to Dr. C. Thurairaja, a member of the International body, the Congress will draw all those who are involved in the development and promotion in Sports Medicine.
The participants drawn from the Asian region, but others, from other nations too will attend as observers.

It will give an opportunity for the locals here, to indulge and further educate themselves with their Asian counterparts. There will be Scientific Sessions' Workshops and Symposia. Free Papers and Poster presentations and Medical Exhibitions. It will be followed by a team of Physician Development Course.

Attention will be focused to create disciplines that stretch your life, and let go the ones that stress your life. Fitness and exercise be it for a sportsman or otherwise in any walk of life is a 'must' to keep away from unwarrented problems - aches and pains.

Leading professionals in Sports Medicine will be in the local scrum headed by Dr. 'Thurai', namely Prof.Rohan Jayasekera, Drs. Nimal Herat Gunaratne, B.J.C. Perera, Lalith Wijeratne, Hemal Fernando, Mahen Wijesuriya etc.

This is the first announcement by the AFSM - SLSMA. Siri Kannangara, an expert on sports medicine and surgery in Sydney, Australia, too will attend this Congress, according to Dr. Thurai. -BW

Sri Lankans played like novices
The curator too is answerable
By Bernie Wijesekera
The Rangiri Dambulla Stadium had all its charm, beauty and environment to be tagged as one of the best for tourist attraction through cricket. But sad to mention that the pitches afforded to the participating teams - Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan for this triangular series left much to be desired.

The pitches were not fit for one-day cricket, which means attacking cricket and the fans simply did not enjoy the fare. It was in poor condition and came in for a lot of criticism from the visiting teams as well. It was not a case of winning or losing and was a poor reflection on the management and how tit run its affairs.

The Cricket Board had to take an ad hoc decision to shift the games to Dambulla due to wet weather with rains prevailing during this part of the year (S. West monsoons) The decision was good.

However, the local curator should have seen and made regular visits to this venue and overseen its preparation and maintenance rather than confining himself to the metropolis. This venue is maintained by the BCCSL at great cost. At present there is a tremendous waste of funds. Whoever runs its affairs in future must stop this unwarranted waste.

Earlier in the First Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at the P. 'Sara', there was unwarranted interference by outsiders in the preparation of the pitch. Even embarrassing the official curator The pitch was brown with no grass. The local bowlers were sent on a leather hunt when their gamble failed. Back to Rangiri Stadium, the Lankan top order failed miserably and put the game to shame in their own backyard.
The 'Super Six' failed to apply themselves and bat like professionals.

They are no longer playing for the love of game. Playing away from the body they did not have the technique to bat even on an under-prepared pitch. As Viv. Richard one mentioned, even in an overs game there should be the technique to counter any attack. Most of the lower-order batsmen were using the bottom hand and indulged in agricultural shots.

There were no Abdul Qadir, Aamir Sohail or Saqlain Mustaq in the Pakistan attack but young hopefuls on trial. The Kiwis hadn't burly Tom Burtt or Richard Hadlee, but Adam Vettori. Sri Lanka still failed to make to the final on whatever pitch and made more gaping holes to its image due to poor batting.

CR to face stiff opposition from Navy
By Shamseer Jaleel
The Colombo Rugby Football Club will be in action today at Welisara facing stiff opposition from the Sri Lankan Navy. The Red Shirts who have won all their matches this season and this is the first time they are playing away from Longden Place. They outclassed the Kandy Youth by 83-3, and the Old Zahirians by half century and last weekend helped by a late second half rally they beat the Sri Lankan AirForce by 32-9.
Navy lost all the matches up to the last weekend.

They opened the season by losing to Havies by a mere point (18-19), against CH they were beaten by 15-38, Police they lost by 8-13 after leading most part of the game and lost to the Soldiers by 5-24.

The Red Shirts are coached by veteran Tony Amith and skippered by former Patana and Dynamite flanker Shamly Nawaz has got some top names such as Haren Kaluarachchi, Asanga Rodrigo, Imtiaz Mushtaq, Zulki Hameed.

On the other hand Navy should do well if they can get into the opponents half and attack from there rather than trying to attack from their own goal area. This was witnessed in their game against Soldiers. They kept the ball either in ruck or scrum for too long and put their line under severe pressure. Navy's other weakness is that they don't have a reliable place kicker. As per performance this season CR should pull it off what would be another closely contested game.

Big boost for Deaf Schools six-a-side cricket contest
Deaf School Past Pupilsl Association from the School for the Deaf, Ratmalana, is organizing the Deaf Schools Six-a-Side Softball Cricket Tournament. The event will be held on July 6, 2003 at the De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa, commencing at 10.15 A.M. The final will be held on the same day, followed by the awards ceremony.

It is sponsored by Caltex Lubricants Lanka Limited for the second successive year.
The champions will receive the Caltex Trophy, with individual awards to eight players while the runners-up will be presented the Caltex Trophy, with individual awards to eight players.

The tournament is open to all deaf schools without any tournament fees. Entry forms can be obtained from Mr. N.K.D. Ariyaratne, Hony. Secretary, Deaf School Past Pupils Association. The School for the Deaf, Ratmalana, or Mrs. Marie Wijeyaratne (Principal) on 636351 during school hours. Entries close on 21st June 2003.

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