Funday Times

Global Sports Festival
By Shanika Dias and Renu Warnasuriya and Pix by - Ishara Kodikara
Dances, bands, gymnasts and 150 enthusiastic kids piled into the Royal College Sports Complex, on the 17th of October. What’s the occasion? The Global sports festival organised by the young leaders of the Dreams and Teams project, introduced and sponsored by the British Council. This is the third festival of it’s kind. For the first time 20 countries around the world held the festival on the same day.

The aim of the Dreams and Teams project is to train young leaders into making a difference by “thinking global, acting local”.How? Through sports. Sri Lanka is the first South Asian country to join this programme. The 20 young leaders ranging from 14 to 19 years, are from D.S Senanayake College and Berrewaerts College Kandy.

Children falling over boxes, collapsing tin castles , flying cardboard puzzles were some of the sights that greeted us. With all this fun it was not surprising that the obstacle, Zig-zag and puzzle solving were amongst the games chosen. Through these games, the children learnt to work as a team under a leader, and to be creative.

All the participants were between the ages of seven and nine. They were from, Visakha Vidyalaya, D.S Senanayake College, Muslim Ladies College, Sri Sangamiththa Viduhala, Lyceum International school, Sri Jayawardanapura Vidyalaya, Hindu Ladies College and the Deaf School ,Ratmalana. Certificates of participation were given out by the chief guests, Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, Karunasena Kodituwakku and the Director of the British Council, Mr.Tony O’Brien.

The audience was entertained by the vibrant dances of Hindu Ladies College and Devi Balika Vidyalaya. The youngsters from D.S Senanayake College decked in their black, red and yellow outfits, gave a bouncy gymnastic display. There were also two band displays, both from D.S Senanayake College. All in all the Global Sports Festival was indeed…..a “festival!”

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