AGSEP to set up three sports centres

The Asian German Sports Exchange Programme will set up three trauma relief sports centres in Jaffna, Batticaloa and Ambalantota.

The centres will be provided with a swimming pool, an indoor stadium, soccer ground, mountain biking area and an adventure playground.

Children between the ages of 6 to 14 years who have lost their family members in the tsunami disaster will be trained in swimming, football, badminton, table tennis, volleyball and mountain biking. They will also be taught music and dancing. By taking part in sports the children will be able to overcome the trauma of losing their family members to the tsunami tidal waves.

The German Embassy in Sri Lanka is supporting the project and has recommended it to the German Funding Agency Inwent to provide financial support to set up the three centres.

The three centres which will be set up in the Northern Province (Jaffna), Eastern Province (Batticaloa) and Southern Province (Ambalantota) will comprise children of the three main communities and they would be able to visit the other two centres which would help to bring about friendship and understanding between them which would help in Sri Lanka's peace process.

A student of the International Management Centre in Krems, Austria Sigrid Schweighofer is the chief co-ordinator of the project.