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| Tuesday, 5 October 2004 |
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Sri Lanka Cricket may take over Pallekelle Stadium by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent Sri Lanka Cricket will explore the possibility of taking over the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium and invest funds and complete the balance work and make it ready for international matches' said the President of Sri Lanka Cricket Mohan de Silva in an interview with the media when he visited the Pallekelle site in the company of former Cricket Board Chief Thilanga Sumathipala on Saturday. Also accompanying this party on an inspection and assessment tour were Sri Lanka Cricket heavy weight Michael de Zoysa, Nuski Mohammed, Selva Perumal, Godfrey Dabrera, Malcolm Perera, Lawrence Amerasena, Anura Weerasinghe, Sujeewa Godaliyadde, Duleep Mendis, Jayananda Warnaweera and from the local cricket association Janaka Pathirana, Thilina Tennakoon, Roland Perera, Dr. M. Mahendra, M. Shashidaran, M. Prabakaran and Muttiah Muralitharan. De Silva said that the investors had expanded a sum of Rs. 130 million and the Sri Lanka Cricket 100 million through a bank loan obtained from the People's Bank through Dollar Account. The Sri Lanka Cricket may have to resort to borrowing to fund to complete the balance work on this project which is stalled at the moment due to want of funds. De Silva added that this will be a Joint Venture and one day they will pay off their investing partner and Sri Lanka Cricket will fully, own this ground which will have the best facilities. Earlier there was a move to make this a Limited Liability Company and sell off the shares but this move failed as the Ministry of Sports was not in favour of it. He also said that a final decision on this project will be taken on the recommendations of the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket and until such time it will be on hold. Their inspection trip was to assess the project and make a feasibility study before making a final decision. The total cost of this project was Rs. 600 million and already a sum of Rs. 230 million has been spent and the balance money of Rs. 370 million will have to be found subject to market fluctuations and price variations as this project was launched last year. De Silva said that if Sri Lanka Cricket undertakes the funding to complete the balance work, this ground will be used not only to play international cricket matches but also as a 'Centre of Excellence' for conducting of coaching camps and improve the skills of players and it is the objective of the Sri Lanka Cricket to establish 'Centres of Excellence' in every district. They will also endeavour to make this stadium an income generating project. The Stadium officials took the party around the Stadium and explained the work already done and a lot more will have to be done. The Sri Lanka Cricket Officials after studying the proposed play also recommended that more space be left between the boundary lines and the perimeter fence and this was accepted in principal. The Sri Lanka Cricket also held its maiden meeting outside Colombo for the first time in Kandy on the same day. |
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