Quick Look

Foreign flavour in DCL 2013

Yasaratne GAMAGE

Sri Lanka’s number one football tournament, the Dialog Champions League ( DCL ) 2013 will commence soon with the participation of 20 elite football teams with 187 matches to be played island wide.

The newest edition of the tournament where number of teams participating has been increased from 12 to 20 and many of them comprising foreign players will no doubt give football lovers an exciting season of soccer during the coming months.

Veteran clubs from Colombo including Saunders, Ratnams, Java Lane, Renown and Colombo FC will vie with teams from outstations namely, Solid SC ( Anuradhapura ), Pelicans ( Kurunegala ), Up Country Lions ( Nawalapititya ), Super Sun ( Beruwala ), Matara City SC ( Matara ), Blue Star SC and Park SC ( Kalutara ), Negambo Youth SC and Don Bosco SC ( Negambo ) and New Youngs ( Wennappuwa ).

The services teams, Sri Lanka Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Security Department also will give tough competition to other teams.

This year the Football Federation of Sri Lanka ( FFSL ) has permitted inclusion of three foreign players for a team except for the teams from the security forces.

The foreign players will be mainly from Nigeria and Cameroon , according to FFSL sources. Their inclusion will undoubtedly create more excitement and enthusiasm for fans.

The tournament will also be the pathway for players to be selected for National pool as the National Selectors will visit the venues in search of young talent.

Renown and Java Lane in finals

Yasaratne GAMAGE

Renown SC entered the finals of Gold Cup 2013 soccer tournament beating much fancied Saunders SC in the second semi-final after an exciting penalty shoot out that ended 8 - 7 at CR & FC grounds on Sunday.

So it will be a tough battle for Renown S.C who will meet the reigning champions Java Lane SC in the final to be played on April 28 at 4:00 pm at CR & FC grounds. Newly elected President, FFSL, Ranjith Rodrigo will be the chief guest.

Renown SC dominated the game in the first half and scored their first goal in the 45th minute off the boot of striker Mohamed Fazal, who received a lovely pass from midfielder M.Fazal. The score was 1-0 for Renowns at lemons.

Saunders SC played hard and dominated the entire second half with many penetrative moves from their wings.

It paid divident in the 70th minute of the match when midfielder and ex national player Izuru Perera made a good pass to M.Sameera who in turn beat the custodian Sathish with a lovely floater to make 1-1.

Renown SC could not hold to the attacking movements made by Saunders SC, and conceded their second goal in the 85th minute of the match.

The sitter missed by Renown Striker, M.Fazal in 84th minute was collected by Saunders SC custodian who made a long kick to the striker, E,C.Eranga, National Player,collected well and beat the on rushing goal keeper and slotted the ball to make 2-1 for Saunders.

In the dying stages of the match Renown SC started their normal short passes and in the 92nd minuted M.Fazal who received the ball from the other striker scored beating the goal keeper all ends up.

The score remained 2-2 at the final whistle.

Tie breaker penalty was imposed and Renown beat Saunders 8- 7

Referee: M.Basnayake.

Total number of teams that participated were 16 and 15 matches were played. Prior to the Gold Cup 2013 finals the Silver Cup 2013 will be played at the same venue at 2:30 pm

Moragasmulla SC will battle it out with Colpetty United SC

Training for Tamil speaking graduates

H L Sunil Shantha – Kalutara Central Special Corr and Narayanaswamy Jayarathnam – Kalutara Thinakara Corr

A batch of Tamil speaking graduates from the Northern and Eastern provinces for the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) was recruited for a training at Kalutara recently.

Twenty nine Tamil graduates and 14 Muslim graduates were recruited for a 10-day residential training course at the Sri Lanka Police Training College, Palathota, Kalutara on April 16.

Music programme

Lyricist and poet W K Sarath Wimalasiri will make an analytical presentation of songs composed, based on themes in Buddhist literature through Shraddhanjalee programme presented by the Sinhala National Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation tomorrow from 12.00 noon to 12.45 pm.

Aradhana Mahothsawa of Bhagawan Sri Sathys Sai Baba

Several poojas will be held on April 24 from 5 am at the Sri Sathya Sai Sewa Samithi , Barnes Place, Colombo 7 to mark the second anniversary of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba leaving his physical body.

The programme on April 24 will commence with Nagara Sankeerthan followed by Veda and Gayathri Manthra chanting. The programme will continue till 10 am with special talks by Chairman of the Central Trust and Sathya Sai Sewa Samithil - Sri Lanka Dr Jeganathan and Member of the Central Trust Mrs Mala Sabaratnam,

The programme will conclude with Bhajans and Mangala Aarathi. A special seminar will be conducted by Dhammika Kalapuge on Sewa (Service) at the Sai Mandhir, Barnes Place from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm on April 25. All are welcome.

Prayer Service

A Praise and Worship and Healing service will be held every Friday from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm at the Grand Oriental Hotel, Fort, Colombo 1

Teachers for remote areas

S. M. Wijayaratne Kurunegala Daily News Corr

The Education Ministry appointed 2,700 trainee teachers to remote government schools islandwide with the beginning of the second school term this year to solve the shortage of school teachers in remote schools.

These teachers who passed out from national colleges of education last year are thus appointed to schools.

They will teach English Language, Mathematics, Science, Aesthetic Studies, Social Studies, Languages and Religions, said Kurunegala Education Director W. M. Balasooriya.

Man hit by train

Yasaratne Gamage

A 32-year-old man died after being hit by a train plying from Kalutara to Maradana near the Wellawatte railway station.

M Manoharan of Kirulapone died in the incident.

The body was sent to Kalubowila hospital for the postmortem.

Sluice gates opened

Raja Waidyasekera, Tisamaharama special corr

Sluice gates of Atlunugamwehera Reservoir have been opened, Tissamaharama irrrigation engineer Amarajeewa Liyanage said. He said the area surrounding Ravanaella is experiencing torrential rains, forcing the authorities to open the sluice gates. He said this was the sixth time the sluice gates were opened during the past four months.

MRIA records 53 aircraft arrivals up to April 20

Raja Waidyasekera, Tissamaharama special corr

Fifty three aircraft have arrived at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport until April 20 since its inception on March 18.

Two thousand thirty three passengers have arrived at the airport, according to the airport manager. He said 1,948 passengers have left for foreign countries via the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.