| Sports |
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Opatha’s grouse with SLC |
| By Rangi Akbar |
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| Tony Opatha |
Tony Opatha, the former Peterite skipper and one of Sri Lanka’s most lethal pace bowlers in the 60’s and 70’s has an axe to grind. He claims that a payment of US Dollars 30,000 due to him from the year 2001 for outstanding contributions towards Sri Lanka Cricket, has not been paid to him.
Tony claims that he had even approached President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and had sent a letter to that effect to Duleep Mendis, Chief Executive Officer of SLC, but D.S. De. Silva Chairman Interim Committee SLC says that the SLC has no funds and to ask President Rajapaksa for the money!
Tony claims that his team mates such as D.S. De Silva, Anura Tennekoon, Sunil Wettimuny (to name a few) has taken this payment and even junior cricketers like Asantha De Mel has collected the payment too.
Tony has played in two World Cups (1975 and 1979) in England and in 1980 and represented the country until 1981. He was partly responsible in taking a rebel Sri Lanka team led by Bandula Warnapura to South Africa, a country which was isolated without sporting links due to their apartheid policies.
According to Tony he was paid USD 10,000 and even though he has been making repeated requests for the balance monies, the SLC had not responded and in desperation he has gone to President Rajapaksa, in order to see that justice is meted out to get his dues.
Tony shifted camp to The Netherlands where he headed a travel company, Aro International, dealing with sports tours, for 24 years. His adventures have taken him to England, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore.He says that he spent a considerable amount of money in helping outstation schools in Sri Lanka by providing them with cricket gear.When the Sunday Times contacted Nishantha Ranatunga, Secretary Interim Committee SLC, regarding the issue, Ranatunga said that he has not seen the letter and as such he is not in a position to make a comment. SLC Chairman D.S. De Silva was not available for his comments. |
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