• My Village
• A strange incident
• The biggest - Stamp News 38

My Village

My village is Hindurangala. It is in the Ratnapura District. My village is surrounded by mountains.

There are water falls in the area. Gems are found in my village. There is a school, a temple and a sub-post office in my village. Beautiful forests are seen around my village. A few people are government officers.

Rubber and tea are grown in larger quantities. Some people are Rubber tappers and tea pluckers. They live in estate areas. People like gem mining most.

Even little children go to mine gems. Many tourists are attracted to my village. I love my village.

Eranga Kodikara
Kiriella Primary School, Kiriella.

A strange incident

At dusk when the eve was still,
A noise so strange and loud,
Woke me up with a sudden light,
Which I had never seen at all
Jumping through the window near
and seeing an object so clear
Seeing its people so queer
I spoke to them in a language I knew
Made them flee with all their might
Back to their own motherland
Shouting as loud as I could
I woke upto find my mother dear
Asking why I shouted thus
Then only did I realize that
It was just a dream.

Dilmika Tennakoon,
Littler Flower Convent,
Bandarawela

Stamp News 38

The biggest Commonwealth games

By Uncle DCR

The recently concluded XVI Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia attracted around 6,000 athletes and officials from 69 Commonwealth countries and more than 80,000 people coming to witness the Games. It was the first time that the Commonwealth Games were held in an Asian city.

The scope of the Games was expanded and for the first time in the history of the Games, team sports were included. These were cricket, rugby, hockey (men & women's) and netball. The other 11 sporting events were athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, lawn bowls, shooting, squash, swimming, tenpin bowling and weightlifting. All 16 sports were featured in a colourful series of stamps issued by the Malaysian postal authorities to mark the historic event. The first day cover also featured the national flags of all participating countries.

The success of the Kuala Lumpur Games was the result of meticulous planning which began six years ago with the appointment of Sukom Ninety Eight Berhad, the committee set up to organise the Games. It worked closely with the Government especially with the Ministry of Youth & Sports as well as the Olympic Council of Malaysia. While the Government provided facilities, operational costs were met through private sector sponsorship and funding, ticket sales, official sponsorship and sale of broadcast rights. To keep the Games on track, services of no less than 16,000 volunteers known as 'Pulse 98' were obtained.

The Games also saw new technology being adopted for the first time. These were the first Commonwealth games to be recorded on CD ROM and the first to have their own homepage on the Internet. There were other 'firsts' too: the first host country to officiate at the opening ceremony with her own ruler instead of HRH Queen Elizabeth (she was present for the closing ceremony); the first host country to use S.M.A.T.V (Satellite Master Antenna Television); the first Commonwealth games to issue commemorative currency polymer note and the first Commonwealth games to include team sports.

The mascot of the Games was the Orang Utan known as 'Wira' meaning 'Warrior.' The animal is indigenous to the tropical evergreen rainforest of Malaysia. It was chosen as the mascot because it characterises friendliness, intelligence, nimbleness, and charm. It is also unique in that it is the only animal in the world with a Malay name.

The Games logo drew its inspiration from Malaysia's national flower - the hibiscus or Bunga Raya. Flowers, the universal symbol of welcome were in keeping with the spirit of the Friendly Games concept of the Commonwealth games. The hibiscus was stylised to represent 'CG' and '98.' The rich burst of red, yellow and blue are Malaysia's national colours. The six pollen depicted the six regions over which the Commonwealth extends.

The Games Village consisted of a residential zone and an international zone situated 500 metres away from the National Stadium. The residential zone had 1,400 condominiums with full facilities for officials and athletes. The international zone catered to the social, entertainment and domestic needs of the participants. There was also a stage for cultural performances and a food court to cater for 2,000 people at a time. Athletes at the village were provided with a transport service made up of shuttle buses and electric cars.

From Kuala Lumpur, it's now over to Manchester, UK, venue for the Games in the Year 2002.

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