A big boost for Junior Cricket

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Former Chairman Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Thilanga Sumathipala yesterday squashed any rumours of having elections this year but expressed his confidence of regaining the top seat in the country’s richest sports governing body.

The Managing Director of Masscom Limited made these observations during the signing of the agreement between the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) and Ceylon Cold Stores Limited in connection with the Lemonade Super 17 inter schools limited overs tournament.

Sumathipala said that it is unlikely that there will be cricket board elections within the next couple of months although earlier reports had suggested that the Sports Ministry is forming the ground work to hold elections for the first time in four years.

The last elected administration under Thilanga Sumathipala was dismissed by the then Sports Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga in March 2005 barely a year after elections on charges of financial misappropriation and since then the SLC has been run by an interim committee headed by Sports Ministry appointees.

Sumathipala said that Masscom Limited an event management company has pumped a massive sum of Rs. 35 million to boost junior cricket in the country for the next five years. He noted that the SLSCA has handed over the marketing rights of all age groups of inter school cricket tournaments with the recommendation of the Ministry of Education.

The Super 17 inter school limited overs tournament of course started in August in three divisions and will be completed during the second week of October.

The tournament will be conducted according to the rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with all finals to be conducted in coloured clothing.

A total of 260 teams have entered the tournament with more than 840 matches to be worked off in Colombo and in the rural areas. The tournament has now reached the second round and the pre quarterfinals will be worked off between September 24 and 26.

The semifinals are scheduled for the first week of October and plans are underway to telecast the finals live which will be another unique feat in the history of school cricket in the country.

Meanwhile the Minister of Sports and Recreation Gamini Lokuge yesterday appointed Sunil Wickremanayake as the Chairman of the selection committee for junior cricket until April 30, 2009.

The other members of the selection committee are Ruchira Palliyaguru, Duminda Wickremasinghe, Percy Perera, Nishantha Perera, Dilshan de Silva (SLSCA representative) and Sisira Weerasinghe (SLSCA representative).