Over 1,500 competitors for National Sports Festival
 

by Chris Dhambarage

All arrangements have been finalised to conduct the 31st National Sports Festival organised and conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which gets underway in Matale today.

Over one thousand five hundred sportsmen and sportswomen from all parts of the country will be vying for honours in this three day sports extravaganza with the opening ceremony scheduled for 2.30 p.m at the Bernard Aluvihare Stadium in Matale.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Anura Bandaranaike will declare open the Sports Festival at the invitation of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Jeevan Kumaranatunga and the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sripathy Suriyarachchi.

In addition the Minister of Provincial Council Janaka Bandara Tennekoon and the Deputy Minister of Samurdhi Rohana Dissanayake will also grace the occasion.

There will be only two track and field events on the opening day the men's and women's 4 X 400 metres final commencing at 4.30 p.m. This will be followed by the men's football tournament final at 5.00 p.m. In addition the women's basketball tournament final will be worked off at 7.00 p.m.

The days other team events will start at the Ukuwela grounds where the men's and women's volleyball tournament finals will be worked off from 8.00 a.m. The boxing events will be conducted at S. Thomas' College Matale commencing at 5.00 p.m and the kabaddi tournament for men and women will be worked off at the Aluvihare Maha Vidyalaya grounds. The netball tournament will also commence today at the Edward Park from 8.00 a.m.

There will be as many as 15 finals in the track and field events on the second day of the Sports Festival commencing at 7.30 a.m.

The finals are the men's 10,000 metres, women's 5000 metres, women's discus throw, men's high jump, women's long jump and the men's shot putt, women's javelin throw, men's long jump, men's discus throw, men's 400 metres final, women's 200 metres final, men's 400 metres, women's 4 X 100 metres and the men's 4 X 100 metres. The women's football final will also be worked off on the second day at 5.00 p.m.

The Sports Festival will reach its climax on the third and final day where all finals of the track and field events will be worked off at the Aluvihare Stadium commencing at 7.30 a.m.

The finals are men's pole vault, men's 5000 metres, women's 10,000 metres, men's triple jump, women's shot putt, women's high jump, women's 800 metres, men's 800 metres, men's javelin throw, women's triple jump, women's 100 metres, men's 110 metres hurdles, men's 110 metres hurdles, men's 1500 metres, women's 1500 metres, women's 100 metres, men's 100 metres, women's 400 metres and the men's 400 metres.

Western Province are tipped to win the overall challenge trophy once again with stiff opposition coming from the Central Province, North Western Province and Sabaragamuwa Province. The Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the chief guest on the final day of the Sports Festival.