World Cup victory 10th anniversary celebrations today

CRICKET: Sri Lanka's World Cup winning cricket team will be felicitated tonight at a reception by Sri Lanka Cricket when they host a dinner to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Cricket World Cup 1996 at Galle Face Hotel.

The occasion will also coincide with the official dinner hosted for the visiting Pakistan cricket team. SLC sources said that all 14 members of the World Cup winning squad along with the officials would be felicitated at this dinner. Only four members of that champion team are currently playing in the national side, namely Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Marvan Atapattu.

The rest of the World Cup winning squad comprised Arjuna Ranatunga (captain), Aravinda de Silva (vice-captain), Romesh Kaluwitharana, Asanka Gurusinha, Roshan Mahanama, Hashan Tillakaratne, Kumar Dharmasena, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Ravindra Pushpakumara and Upul Chandana. The officials were Duleep Mendis (manager), Dav Whatmore (coach), Alex Kountouri (physio).

SLC sources said that Gurusinha who is residing in Australia was due to arrive last night. Kountouri (who is in Australia) and Whatmore (in Bangladesh) are also expected to grace the occasion.

Each member will be presented a gold sovereign to mark the tenth anniversary of the World Cup victory. Video presentation of the World Cup final and semi-finals won by Sri Lanka will be shown. Sri Lanka won the Cricket World Cup on March 17, 1996 beating Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore by seven wickets.

Former SLC president Ana Punchihewa under whose tenure Sri Lanka won the World Cup will make the keynote address. Also scheduled to speak is cricket commentator and writer Mahinda Wijesinghe.

All past presidents and officials of the Cricket Board along with past captains and players are among the distinguished invitees numbering 600.

Representatives of all clubs, districts, and provinces affiliated to SLC have been invited. SLC sources said that for the first time representatives from Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa have been invited to grace the occasion.

The Premier league champions for 2005-06 Singhalese SC will also be felicitated followed by the distribution of awards. - [S.T.]