DSG athletics begin
The fifth Defence Services Games organised by Sri Lanka Navy has
reached its final stage and the athletic meet commenced yesterday at the
Sugathadasa Stadium with a colourful cultural pageant.
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At the opening ceremony : At the opening ceremony the
chief guest Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and
Planning and Secretary to the Treasury Dr. P. B. Jayasundera
with Acting Chief of Defence Services and Air Chief Marshal
Roshan Gunetilleke, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Jagath
Jayasuriya and Navy Commander Thisara Samarasinghe. Picture
by Mahinda Withanachchi |
The chief guest on the occasion was Secretary to the Ministry of
Finance and Planning and Secretary to the Treasury Dr. P. B. Jayasundera
in the presence of Acting Chief of Defence Services and Air Chief
Marshal Roshan Gunetilleke, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Jagath
Jayasuriya and Navy Commander Thisara Samarasinghe.
The highlight of the day was the parachute display jointly performed
by all three Forces which included three women soldiers coming down from
a height of 5,000 metres.
Chief guest who opened the Games said that today the servicemen are
free to engage in their sporting activities after they completed the
ethnic war which ushered in peace to the whole country. The time has
come for these service personnel to improve on their standard in sports
and reach international standard to bring glory to the country. He
wished the competitors all success.
The athletic events will be competed by nearly 400 athletes from
three forces with the organisers Navy entering nearly 150 competitors.
Capt. Athula Senarath said that the competition is very high and with
many national level athletes competing records are bound to tumble in
the two days.
Today 16 finals will be worked off and 19 events are scheduled for
Saturday the final day of the meet.
The Defence Services Games will come to an end on Monday with the
awards ceremony at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium with Secretary to the
President Lalith Weeratunga as chief guest. |
