Five-a-side cager tourney in Kandy

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Correspondent

The Kandy District Sports Development Foundation will conduct its maiden basketball tournament when the Kandy District Inter Schools (girls and boys) and inter club (men and women) five-a-side tournament organised in conjunction with the Kandy YMCA and the Kandy District Basketball Association will be worked off at Trinity College courts and Mahamaya Girls College courts in Kandy on Saturday and Sunday - November 17 and 18.

The finals will be played at Trinity College courts on Sunday, November 18 at 3.30 p.m under the patronage of the Chairman of the Kandy District Sports Foundation General Anuruddha Ratwatte.

This tournament will be another feather in the cap of the Kandy District Sports Development Foundation which has done a lot to promote and develop sports in the Kandy District. It has already conducted sports festivals to focus attention on traditional sports and also has conducted football, tennis, and athletic tournaments. A programme to promote netball and rugby is under way spearheaded by sports administrator Maurice Perera.

Kandy which was at one time in the forefront of basketball has not seen much of this game during the past few years with some schools and clubs opting to keep away from this game. This tournament will give the game the much needed boost it deserves.

Some of the top teams which are expected to participate in this tournament are Schools: Mahamaya Girls College, Pushpadana Girls College, Hillwood Girls College, Colombo International Schools, Girls High School, Among the boys schools it will be a tussle between Trinity College, St. Antony's College, Al Ashar College, Wallala A Ratnayake MV.

The tournament for clubs should see a titanic struggle between Old Trinitians SC, Old Antonians SC and Oblates (National Seminary) and Kandy Cagers.