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by Pelham Juriansz

The opening of the Austasia Sports & Leisure Club will take place on June 28 at the Austasia Sports Complex in Thalawatugoda. A BOI approved company the Austasia Sports Complex were the pioneers in introducing Indoor Cricket to Sri Lanka and the first ever International Standard Indoor Sports and Leisure Complex in Sri Lanka in Thalawatugoda.

Speaking at the Press briefing at the Austasia Sports Complex the Managing Director of the Austasia Group of Companies, Dakshita Anthony explained that beginning from May 12 last year they started the concept of Indoor cricket and it was the brainchild of his brother, Cedric (now domiciled in Australia) who first designed this concept.

The opening of the new Stadium complex will be preceded by the final between Colts "A' and Slimline for the " Free & Easy trophy". The final will be telecast live on ITN - the official sponsor of Indoor Cricket and the Committee is thankful to Lion Breweries for sponsoring the Mercantile Indoor Cricket and also Comet Cable, Mobitel and Coca Cola.

The opening of the Stadium Sports and Leisure Club will be at 8 p.m. and the Chief Guests will be the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Johnston Fernando, Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapakse and Salinda Dissanayake.

There are at present 16 sports being run at the Complex though many havn't heard of the other disciplines that go on there. Speaking at length on the development, Ms. Anoma Tennakoon the Development Manager of the Complex stated that there are facilities for swimming, badminton, basketball, netball, carrom, hockey, football, outdoor as well as indoor cricket, squash and many more, including the facilities available at the gymnasium.

The Austasia Sports and Leisure Complex is the only one of its kind in Sri Lanka that comes alive almost every day with the activity of a tennis ball bat and a fairly heavy rubberised ball which the enthusiastic national coach, Sachitra Siribaddana describes as 'tennis'. The draw is for the many foreign teams that play Sri Lanka. As well as for its dual purpose netball court, and swimming pool which are rented for tournaments.

Even as Siribaddana looked ahead to taking indoor cricket to the schools he was also happy the facelift Thalawathugoda was getting from it all.

The Manager of the Sports complex, M.M. Naushad was all agog when we met him at the Complex and explained that there is also an idea to expand the Complex to include a Kiddies Play Area and the Sri Lanka Body Building Federation is also housed there with Fitness Kingdom conducting training classes. Veteran Swimmer Julian Bolling is conducting Swimming classes while indoor cricket is being handled by no less a person than the effervescent "Little Kalu" who is going great guns in England at the moment. Assisting him is the former NCC skipper, Sanjeewa Weerasinghe and Nishantha Herath.

Already Thalawathugoda has hosted several tournaments. Australia and England men's team having toured here and also the Indian women's team.

The hub of activity to this outskirt town that is about a 10 mile drive from central Colombo keeps picking up by the day. In fact, indoor cricket was lending its share to land value going up in Thalawathugoda, said Siribaddana conscious of the national development drive. It boasted of the only 'bowling speed machine' in the country by which bowlers can check their speeds.

The indoor stadium is the brainchild of millionaire businessman, Cedric Anthony resident in Australia who got the bright idea of introducing it to Sri Lankans through what is called the Ceylon Indoor Cricket Association (CICA).

Coach Siribaddana, better known as 'Sachi' among his colleagues, who captained the NCC Division-II and Division-III cricket teams, will have his work cut out. His immediate task is taking indoor cricket to schools as a tournament as much as getting ready for next week's mercantile tournament for the second successive year. Last year, the tournament was won by East West Marketing. But the young coach's biggest challenge will be getting ready for the World Cup 2002. Apart from the winners trophy, cash prizes trophies and certificates to the tune of Rs.75,000 are lined up.

"I have to get the right blend to a squad to represent Sri Lanka at the World Cup to be held in New Zealand in October", said Sachi who also coaches the women's team which got the better of India 3-nil in a three-match series this year.

"At present there are nine countries playing Indoor cricket and our dream is to win the World Cup. In fact like in Outdoor Cricket, or the more traditional game. Indoor cricket is the other area where we can achieve World fame" commented Buddhika Kuruppuarachchi, a committee member of the Ceylon Indoor Cricket Association(CICA). Sri Lanka will host the 2004 World Cup with the tournament held every two years by which time more stadiums will be located in Colombo, Kandy and Galle.

Some of the live wires behind the new concept are Managing Director, Dakshitha Anthony, brother of Cedric, the Chairman, Kaluwitharana who devotes much of his time as Director Sports, and Sanjeewa Weerasinghe, General Manager.

Besides cricket, under construction is another swimming pool on a site adjacent to the stadium which must lend to the aesthetic beauty as modernisation gets under way in Thalawathugoda. 

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