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Ken de Joodt reporting from Jaffna

After a long, tiresome coach journey, overnight from Colombo to Trincomalee (which turned exciting and scary at Habarana, when we were stopped by wild elephants on two occasions), we finally reached Jaffna after a very refreshing experience, on the Navy's Fast Passenger Craft (FPC), from Trincomalee harbour to Kankesanturai harbour.

Thank God, the seas were relatively calm and the ship took approximately five hours, at a speed of thirty knots, to do the one hundred and thirty nautical miles piloted by Lt. Comdr. Uthpala, with Comdr. Piyal de Silva and Lt. Comdr. Pious Fernando on board, to educate and take excellent care of all the basketball players and officials who were delighted with the performance of the craft.

On arrival at KKS harbour, Brig. Lawrence Fernando, president of the SL Basketball Federation and ASP Ranjan, were on the pier with a host of Navy and Army personnel to welcome all the passengers and assist the basketball groups, in taking them, in absolute safety, to their relevant lodgings.

With this wonderful gesture, produced by the SLBF, the message of 'peace and goodwill' will slowly but surely, reach the people of Jaffna, through means of sport and in particular through basketball, which was so popular in the past.

In the meantime, the 'round-robin' matches between the Colombo men's and women's teams and the Jaffna teams, will get underway tomorrow morning, Saturday 6th instant. On the 9th the finals of the basketball tournament will be held, in the distinguished presence of the Hon. Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Mr. Johnston Fernando, MP.

Unilevers Ltd as the chief sponsor, along with the ministry of sports will spread goodwill and cheer among the spectators at this tournament, by distributing free packets of their main products. This is being done, to help change the lives and attitudes of the people in Jaffna to one of hope and love - and with a view to add greater value to the efforts being made by the country to establish unity and peace for the good of all.

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