A perfect Brisbane night greeted the Sri Lanka touring team as they came aboard the Kookaburra River Queen for a fundraising dinner cruise on Wednesday.
Brisbane, which had been deluged by heavy rains and storms for the past 10 days, brightened up by Wednesday afternoon as if determined to match the beaming smiles of the tourists and their fans.
More than 200 supporters joined the team to enjoy the sights from the Brisbane River which winds like a serpent through the city centre.
The cricketers were the guests of the Sri Lanka Sports Association which has feted the visiting teams in the past and in the process has raised funds for the development of junior cricket in Sri Lanka.
 |
| Aye, aye captain ... Kumar Sangakkara takes the wheel of the Kookaburra River Queen.
(Pic Terry Loos) |
The players arrived in Brisbane on Monday and this was their first official engagement before taking on Queensland in a one-day game on Friday.
It was a unique and relaxing diversion for the team before the rigours of playing warm-up matches against Queensland and New South Wales and a T20 and three ODIs against Australia in a relatively short period.
Months of planning had gone into giving Kumar Sangakkara and his team a traditionally warm Brisbane welcome and the organisers succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. It is the first time the SLSAQ had veered from the tradition of hosting the team at a dinner-dance and it proved a master stroke. The function was well supported and the River Queen was packed to capacity on its two decks.
The Kookaburra River Queen is one of two paddle steamers which ply the Brisbane River, treating its guests to picture postcard views of the city from the water. On this clear night, the Queen leisurely wound its way between the reaches of the river while all on board enjoyed a sumptuous dinner, spiced with mood music and the eager clamour of fans wanting autographs from the players.
The team’s visit to Australia has generated a lot of interest as it is seen as capable of toppling Australia on its own soil. Sri Lanka’s inimitable style of cricket is also well liked among cricket followers in Brisbane.
Manager Anura Tennekoon, a former national captain, pledged his team would play bright cricket and match strengths with Australia. Tennekoon said the tour was the start of Sri Lanka’s build-up to the World Cup early next year.
Indeed, Sri Lanka registered its intentions on Friday by trouncing Queensland at the Gabba in a day/night warm-up match. Sangakkara made a blistering 110 in Sri Lanka’s 301/7 and the bowlers backed him up well by dismissing Queensland for 189.The Sri Lanka Sports Association of Queensland teamed up with the charity organisation, CCC Foundation, to host the river cruise. The Courage Compassion Commitment (CCC) Foundation is made up of a dedicated group of Sri Lankan and Australian volunteers with the primary aim of giving people affected by cancer fresh, new hope in Sri Lanka.
The foundation is helping the National Cancer Institute at Maharagama implement best practice in oncology and radiation therapy. It is also setting up the infrastructure for the treatment and comfort of outpatients and carers.
One of the foundation’s major projects is CCC House which is providing facilities in the nature of a transit home for patients who come from all parts of the country.
Outpatients and family members who find it difficult to return to their homes after treatment have been forced to sleep on the floor in the corridors of the institute, while some parents sleep on the floor by the beds of their children.
The construction of CCC House, a 188-bed facility, is helping relieve heavy overcrowding at the cancer institute by providing a home away from home.
Phase 1 of CCC House, providing 100 beds, with an estimated value of Rs 70 million (AUD $700,000), was opened on September 3.
Founder and chairman of CCC Foundation (Australia) Jetha Devapura says: “Life becomes very difficult for both patient and carer when diagnosed with cancer. But just imagine how it would be to endure the pain without having the basic comforts of a bed.’’
Jetha attributes the project’s success to the vision, resilience and confidence of the voluntary committees that form the CCC Foundation in the two countries.
For information on the CCC Foundation, go to
www.cccfoundation.org.au.:
|
E-mail
