Medical test for students sitting Grade 5 schol exam - Aluthgamage

Ganga Ihala group cor

All students sitting the Grade 5 scholarship examination would be subjected to a medical test for the purpose of issuing a medical certificate along with the examination results declaring the type of sports activity for which the student is most suitable, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said.

Speaking as the Chief Guest at the 2012 Colours Nite and awards ceremony of Kandy Girls High School, the minister said a majority of parents were reluctant to introduce their students towards sports.

"The government, to overcome this, has taken a policy decision to introduce each and every student to sports activities," he said.

Aluthgamage said another feature he had seen was that some children exceptionally talented and winning international acclaim, fail to gain entrance to universities if they are one or two marks behind the cut-off marks level.

"President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the Sports Ministry to enable such students to gain entrance to universities in consultation with the Higher Education Ministry from next year," he said.

The minister said Sri Lanka will be made the sports hub of Asia by introducing a National Sports Policy by 2016. He said the President has allocated funds to promote sports by building fully-equipped sports stadiums in all 23 districts and 314 sports grounds to cover all 314 Divisional Secretariat divisions.

"Development work relating to 40 percent of them have already been completed," Aluthgamage said. He said the Sugathadasa Stadium was the only international stadium in Sri Lanka in 2010. "Once the proposed development work was completed, steps would be taken to introduce rural sportsmen and women to the international arena," the minister said.