President Mahinda Rajapaksa will give a different kind of leadership at a cricket match to be held in Colombo today.
He will captain the team of ministers while former Sri Lanka cricketer and now Matara District MP Sanath Jayasuirya will head the team of MPs in a softball T-20 match at the Sports Ministry grounds.
Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage who was practising yesterday afternoon said the winning team in this first ever politicians’ T-20 would be awarded the Speaker’s Cup. “This match has been initiated by the President as he feels that a sporting event of this nature will help dispel animosities that crop up between MPs during parliamentary debates and also to help them relax,” he said.
Several UNP MPs will also take part in the tournament but the JVP-DNA members said they would not participate.
Invitations have been sent to all MPs for the match which will be telecast live on CSN from 2 p.m. today.
Minister Dulles Alahapperuma said this match would be an annual fixture.
The President was expected to return to the island last night from Bali, Indonesia. |
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