Miss World flags off SLANA run against drugs
It was an unusual sight that met our eyes at Galle Face Green last Sunday. A
large part of the not-so-green expanse was teeming with people . Unusual this
was, because for one, it was early morning; 7.30am to be precise. Second ,it
was Sunday a day when most people sleep late, and third, because, most of those
in the crowd sported numbered T-shirts and running shorts.
There was an air of electric excitement and eager expectancy among the crowd. They were awaiting the arrival of Miss World to flag off the seventh annual Sri Lanka Anti- Narcotics Association, (SLANA) health run. Some were vying for better positions and vantage points from which they could get better view of the stunning beauty, others were taking in energy giving food, sustenance for the gruelling 14 km run and yet others were exercising their limbs, warming up for the test of stamina.
"Why are you here today?" we asked a group of young boys from Zahira College standing behind a large banner denouncing drug use. Grinning they said , "to see Miss World of course."
"But we are also here to support the fight against drugs," another youngster piped up.
The beauty queen arrived a little late for the run which was scheduled for 7.30 am. As her jet black BMW drove smoothly up the Galle Face Hotel road and turned into the promenade along the sea, the entire crowd thronged towards her vehicle. Jacqueline emerged dressed very appropriately in blue jeans and a white T-shirt with the SLANA logo . She walked with the crowd, while the bodyguards provided by the government tried hard to keep people from coming too close, across the breadth of Galle Face towards the Galle road.
A small platform was built adjoining the Taj Samudra Hotel wall for the flagging off . The crowd surged around her as she climbed onto the elevated podium and it took awhile to organize the race categories in readiness for the flagging off. After waving off the run the beauty queen drove the route in her car. Personalities from the local beauty scene and silver screen like Shivani Vasagam and Veena Jayakody were also at Galle Face that Sunday to proclaim their unstinted support for the race against drug abuse.
When the race ended, Jacqueline was on the podium again, this time dressed in a smart dark blue pin striped suit to distribute prizes for the winners of each category.
Mahinda Dissanayake was the winner of the first ever wheel chair race of the health run. Dissanayake is a disabled soldier from the Ranaviru Sevana. "I have participated in wheel chair races in other countries," he said . There were certain hiccups about the wheel chair race as a whole since there were motorised chairs as well as normal ones and the routes of each were different. But considering it was a first time, the turn out for the event, including female participation was very good.
Fourteen-year-old Inoka Priyangi from Baddegama was the winner of the Girls under 15 marathon. Flushed and excited as she ran upto receive her prize, the little girl said that it was the second year she was participating in the run. "We ( parents and I ) came from Baddegama yesterday. We are staying with my grandmother," she said.
An interesting prize went out to the most out standing family that participated. R.A. Chandradasa, his wife and son shone in this category. Hailing from Ratnapura, the family has a very athletic background. "We also won the Family Event in 1994. My wife and I participate in many athletic meets outside the country too," Chandradasa said.
He has two daughters , who are also into sports. "We are quite a sporting family," K.G Menike, Chandradasa's wife said.
Beautiful Jacqueline who had already charmed the crowd with her dazzling smile, temporarily overcame the language barrier. "Ayubowan," she said , her palms together in traditional greeting with a perfect accent . In her lilting voice she continued in English apologising for her difficulty in communication . She thanked the crowd again in Sinhala, and left them with the message "Remember friends, always say no to drugs."
The SLANA health run which was held for the seventh consecutive year was sponsored by Raththi and co-sponsored by the Rotary Club of Colombo West, Yes FM and Wijeya Newspapers.
It was indeed a memorable afternoon for those present at the Oberoi last
Sunday, when the reigning Miss World, Jaqueline Aguilera graced the
installation luncheon of the President of the Rotary Club of Colombo West
Janaka Edirisinghe, escorted by Kandyan dancers to the sounds of "bera"
in the background.
The meeting got underway with the singing of the National Anthem by the girls choir of the Asian International School, which was preceded by an "Interfaith Service" Jayamangala Gatha and a two minutes bugle for the fallen heroes.
In her speech Jacqueline said that she was pleased to be associated with the Rotary Club of Colombo West in an effort to build a drug free nation. She said that she was touched by the hospitality she had received and that just as Sri Lanka could learn a lot from Venezuela, similarly Venezuela too could learn a lot from Sri Lanka. "I will always be your friend and if you ever need help, please remember that you have a friend in Venezuela," she said.
Dressed in a peach mini-skirt with a matching blouse, Jacqueline who was the guest of honour at the luncheon arrived with the Chief Guest, Army Commander Rohan Daluw
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