S Asia's first baseball ground in Lanka
Japan gives Rs 12 m :
Ridma DISSANAYAKE
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Japanese ambassador nobuhito hobo with mahinda raja-paksa sports
development Foundation chairman musthaque mohamed at the grant
contract signing ceremony for the construction of a baseball
ground yesterday. Picture by nis-sanka wijeratne
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The Japanese government will provide Rs 12 million to the Mahinda
Rajapaksa Sports Development Foundation for the construction of a
baseball ground for youths receiving training under the Grant Assistance
for Cultural Grassroots Projects of the Japanese government, Japanese
Ambassador Nobuhito Hobo said.
"Japan and Sri Lanka are commemorating the 60th anniversary of
establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. The
Japanese embassy will launch a number of programmes to mark the
anniversary," Hobo said.
The ambassador addressing the grant contract signing ceremony for the
construction of a baseball ground at his residence yesterday, said the
project will be implemented by the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Development
Foundation.
"This will be the first ever baseball ground in South Asia. The
ground will be constructed within the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex
in Homagama this year," the ambassador said.
Sri Lanka is planning to host the 2013 SAARC Baseball Tournament. The
construction of the baseball ground is timely and beneficial for Sri
Lanka to successfully engage in training in preparation for the
tournament and to host the tournament for the first time, Hobo said.
Addressing the grant contract signing ceremony, Mahinda Rajapaksa
Sports Development Foundation chairman Musthaque Mohamed said Japan as a
friend of Sri Lanka, has not only supported in the economic field but
has also promoted sports. "Sri Lankans are grateful to Japan for this
assistance. We hope Japan will help us to promote baseball in the future
too," he added.
Officials of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Development Foundation and
Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) also participated.
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