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| Saturday, 1 May 2004 |
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Sports | |
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President Premadasa helped soccer in a big way Today 1st of May is the 11th death anniversary of the late President R. Premadasa, sportsman, sports benefactor and above all a great gentleman who did his best for the Country. The name of R. Premadasa will go down in the annals of our history not only as a Nation-Builder but also as a great Sports Promoter. He as a Sports Promoter and Political leader gave off his best for the people, who had no caste and race. A good worker, was his pet. He wanted people to work and do something for the country. Today, most of the Sri Lankans, will be remembering his good work. This friend of the common people, departed suddenly in a bomb blast, on May Day where his part was celebrating May Day with the workers of the country. As a politician he did his best, and as the Prime Minister and President he is the man who has done a lot for the country in the same way he helped sports. It was he who built the Kettarama Stadium (now known as R. Premadasa Stadium) for cricket with lights. Today this cricket venue can be rated as the best in the World. Then for Football he re-developed the Sugathadasa Stadium, and also gave a new face to the Pediris Park. Football was R. Premadasa's pet sport. The game of football came naturally to him, perhaps because football was identified with the poor man. As a young footballer, he learnt the game at Keselwatte. Even after taking to politics, he was with football and football was with him. He promoted the game among the Parliamentarians. He gave a unstinted support to the Football's controlling Body. During the time of late Weerasinghe Mallimarachchi and Manilal Fernando he came out in a big way by granting a bag of Rs. 60,000 for development of football. He introduced a rugby tournament of Clubs together with Malik Samarawickrema and Y. C. Chang and it became a popular one and in two years time the Schools was brought in and this was one of the most looked forward rugby tournament of the year and after his death this tournament was scraped. R. Premadasa was a gentleman to his fingertips. He was prepared to stand for what was right even though it meant that he had to make a personal sacrifice. He took part in Politics, Sports and Social Service work to help his fellow people. He had a ward and generous heart and would go out of his way to help a countrymen - but his special concern was about those countrymen happened to be less fortunately placed in life. For these people R. Premadasa was a real leader in need. Even in the rough and tumble world of politics, R. Premadasa always maintained that "sport is the best reformer and the ideal one for politicians to engage in as sport has no barriers." There is no doubt that every sport in the Country benefited from his true love for sports. Today, all sports, realizes his loss. It's a void which will be very difficult to fill because he yet had so much to offer for sports and the country. It is said that no man is indispensable. When one considers R. Premadasa worth to society as a Politician, administrator and sport promoter and a friend, I would hasten to challenge that statement. He was that great. H. Marikar - M M C. Kandy. |
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