Three Basketball courts for Batticaloa

Chinthana Wasala

Three complete Basketball courts with flood light facilities were opened at three schools in the Batticaloa area while the Men's and women's Basketball tournament of the thirty fifth National Sports Festival was concluded in Batticaloa recently.

Kiran MV Batticaloa was provided with a new court made up to international standards with flood lights. The two courts of St. Michael's College and St. Ciciliyas Convent have been upgraded with flood lights.

The Basketball tournament of National Sports Festival proved that there is a huge interest for the sport among people of the Eastern Province. North Western Province won the men's title while the women's championship was won by Western Province. The first major tournament which took place at the Eastern Province after a 30 year war, saw around 8000 spectators present, making it the most viewed basketball tournament in Sri Lanka's history.

The project was funded by the Ministry of Sports as requested by the Minister of National Integration Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan and Chief Minister Eastern Province Shivanesathurai Chandrakanthan.

National Basketball Project Officer Saman Samarakoon was the mastermind behind this project, making the proposal to bring this year's tournament to the Eastern Province following the successful completion of the 'Kreeda Shakthi Programme' in Batticaloa under the 'Mahinda Chinthana'.

The support given by Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge, Director General, Department of Sports Development D.B. Dahanayake and Deputy Director of Sports Dervin Perera is also appreciable.