General: Three coaching programme from January

Three active Sri Lanka-Australia solidarity athletic coaching camps will be held in the Western Province, North Western Province and the Northern Province in January 2017. 

This is being organised by the Sports Ministry with the help of the Athletics Association and the Education Ministry. 

No charges will be levied for these camps. 

The first stage will be for sports club athletic coaches. 

The second stage is for intermediate athletic coaches. 

The third and last stage is for kids and youth athletic coaches. 

The Western Province Coaching Camp will be held on January 3 to 5 at the Gampaha Sri Bodhi ground. 

The second coaching camp will be in the North Western Province on January 6 to 8 at the Panduwesnuwara Bandaranaike National School ground. 

The third stage will be in the Northern Province on January 10, 11 and 12 at the Duraippah Stadium in Jaffna. 

Three top level coaches from Australia will arrive in Sri Lanka to conduct these camps. 

They are Mr. Tim Crosbie, Level III Middle and Long Distance and recreational running coach. 

Mark Reed, Level III Sprint and Jumps Coach and Anula de Costa, Level IV Specialist Coach and Ms. Jill Taylor, Australian Development Manager. 

Anula de Costa is a Sri Lankan who has obtained Australian citizenship. 

National Level coaches too can take part at these camps. 

This will be the first stage to train Sri Lankan coaches under the expertise of foreign coaches. 

According to Sports Ministry sources, these camps will be conducted every year.