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Strong squad for West Indies tour
Sri Lanka will send a strong squad to Barbados, West Indies to test their skills towards the World Cup 2004 to be played in South Africa in 2004-2005 for which Sri Lanka has already qualified. The squad will include fourteen players and the Coach, Nihal Kodituwakku and Mrs. C Munaweera as chef-de-mission. They will play six one day internationals during their two week tour. This is the first time Singer Sri Lanka are sponsoring the women's cricket team.

For Sri Lanka this tour is a limbering up while West Indies will be kept on their toes to perform creditably if they are to do well at the Mini World Cup that will be played in Netherlands in July 2003 to facilitate the member countries of the International Women's Cricket Council who failed to qualify at the last WC 2000 played in New Zealand. They all will have to play for the bottom two slots. If West Indies fail, they will be knocked off from playing in the World Cup. Pakistan who is also playing in the Mini W.C. to qualify, were beaten by Sri Lanka early this year. SL won all the six One Dayers.

Most of the 2000 World Cup players are retained in the pool for the WI tour said Gwen Herat, President of the Women's Cricket Association of Sri Lanka, 'We are definitely keen and eager to have new blood in time for the World Cup and have already included many in this pool and are watching them very carefully.'

Sudarshini Sivanathan, Thilaka Gunaratne, Hiroshi Abeysinghe, Thanuja Ekanayake, Indiaka Kankanage, K.M. Indrani, Randika Galhenege, Shashikala Siriwardena, Deepika Rasangika, Wasanthi Ratnayake, Chatura Thalagalla, Anusha Wijewardena, Sandamali Dolewatte, Inoka Galagedera, Dona Indralatha, Janakanti Mala, Preethika Ranaweera, Deepasika Perera, Chamani Seneviratne, Inosha Dilrukshi, Ramani Perera, Eranthi de Silva, Hiruka Fernando, Elushka Rodrigo, Dedunu de Silva, Manjula Priyadarshini, Rose Fernando, Gayathi Kariyawasam

Tour Schedule:
March 2003 - 11 (Tuesday) Arrive in Barbados; 12 (Wedensday) - Rest Day; 14 (Thursday) - O D I vs SVG (warm up); 15 (Friday) - Rest Day; 16 (Saturday) - O D I; 17 (Sunday) - O D I; 18 (Monday) - Rest Day; 19 (Tuesday) - O D I; 20 (Wednesday) - Rest Day; 21 (Thursday) - O D I; 22 (Friday) - Rest Day; 23 (Saturday) - O D I; 24 (Sunday) - Rest Day; 25 (Tuesday) - Return to Sri Lanka.

Susanthika to receive Millennium 2000 award
By M. Shamil Amit
Sprint queen of Sri Lanka Susanthika Jayasinghe who has been invading many athletic tracks around the world with success and done her country proud is to be awarded the Millnnium 2000 Duncan White Memorial Award presented to the most outstanding athlete in a colourful award ceremony scheduled to be held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Independence Avenue Colombo.

The cheif guest is going to be none other than another outstanding and champion athlete of Sri Lanka in the late fifties Dr. Nagalaingam Ethiriveerasingham who jumped to fame at the Third Tokyo Asian Games with a leap of six feet eight inches to become the first ever gold medalist of Ceylon as Sri Lanka was known at that time.

Looking back at her record Susanthika can easily be reagarded as the undisputed winner of this prestigious award. The lass hailing from Warakapola began her career just seven years ago ovecoming many obstacles that came her way to acheive a feat, bringing to an end a 52 year jinx when she won the bronze medal at the Millennium 2000 Sydney Olympics.

She started her quest when she won her first international athletic sprinting to take the 200 silver medal at the International Amateur Athletic Federation World Championships held in Athens, Greece in 1997. Since then she has not looked back winning many laurels and fought her way to be included in the top ten women athletes of the world.

The most cherished win for her would no doubt be the sprint double she won at the 14th Asian Athletics Championships held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in August this year. The only opportunity she got to win an international meet in front of her home crowd. Susanthika's feat will definitely inspire younger athletes to emulate her.

Armed Forces poised to outbox Slimline
The 77th Boxing National Championship Tournament, the Grand-Finale of the year's Boxing Calendar, organized by the Amateur Boxing Association of Sri Lanka, will be held from November 27 to 30 (4 days) at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Kotahena commencing at 5.30 p.m. on each day. In order to prevent boxing running into late nights, the meet will be conducted on two rings simultaneously.

This meet will also serve as the first Selection Trial for the Islamabad SAF Games scheduled for March 2003 and also as trials for the Olympic Games Asian Selections in Bangkok. The inaugural Boxing National Championships took place during the British domain in 1926, the year in which the ABA of Ceylon was constituted. At the last 76th Nationals, which was held in January this year, Slimline Sports Club, Pannala, edged out the reigning champions, the Army by just one point 27-26 to clinch victory and win the E.S. Selladorai Memorial Challenge Cup for being the most successful Club at the Nationals.

Ramanayake, Dias shine at Ridgeways
Two delightful young fellas padded with striking talent showed encouraging prowess at the Ridgeways through the North East Monsoon meet of the Royal Colombo Golf Club. Ramanayake was outstanding with Dias in comparable performance.

Clifford Cup
In this prestigious event Shehan Ramanayake was in topping form striking 2 excellent rounds of 68 and 69 totalling nett 137 and beating Alain Gyi nett 141 to collect the Clifford Cup.

Gold Medal
In the high classic Golf Medal event Rusi Captain the regular annual winner faltered a couple of times to give Alain Gyi the win with a splendid par round and the Gold Medal.

Centenary Trophy
That young man Shehan was once again outstanding through four gruelling rounds under extremely soggy conditions and messy slow greens. He measured up his shots and putted with extreme care to finish on 281 points with rounds of 68, 72, 69 and 72. An excellent performance and worthy of the trophy. Coming behind him with quite a creditable score of 286 was youngster Praveen Dias. Still quite tender but showing much evidence of excellent talent Dias shot 70, 71, 76 and 69. His third round was a trifle untidy or else Ramanayake would have had a shock.

Mackinlay Quaish
In this event Shimizu Takayuki struck a stunning nett 66. A tremendous performance and the best score for the day. Coming behind with a praiseworthy nett 69 was Praveen Dias which was a good performance under tough playing conditions.

Impressive Rounds
Bandula Weerasinghe, Lalin Samarawickrame, Dilanka Pieris and Kumar Boralessa played impressive golf to collect nett 69 each. V.T. Sunderalingam copped a nett 70 and so did Avanka Herath. G.C. Wickremasinghe, Chula Ariyaratne, Travis Fernandopulle, Ken Sellayah and Thejan de Silva played merry hell contributing much to the coffers of the pond boys.

Premier Pacific Contest
Rabid Golf enthusiast Nimal Perera now turned entrepreneur and Luxury Apartment Developer continues to sponsor golf and this year his tournament was the most extravagant. 12 dozen competitors received travelling bags, caps and sweat rag shirts and at close of play they and their spouses were treated to a lavish party with a band thrown in and an excellent Puppet Show.

Kanchana Kodiduwakku, the vibrant Marketing Manager of Premier Pacific launched the award ceremony with an excellent speech and she richly deserved the resounding applause. Lalith Ramanayake, the Captain of the Royal Colombo Golf Club responded with his usual inimitable style. The awards were presented by Niranjali, the elegant wife of Chairman Nimal Perera supported by Nishali Perera, Eugene Perera and Anoja de Soysa.

The award ceremony was packed to capacity and a most enjoyable evening was consumed by everybody in a tremendous spirit of bonhomie.

De Silva Flourishes
Anel de Silva was in excellent form. Great off the tee he measurably hit the green with a high degree of accuracy and putted firmly to collect a comfortable nett par round and the "A" Division Trophy beating the young stylist Shehan Ramanayake who settled on nett 72.

Dias Wins
Young Praveen Dias, an impressive and tidy player was strikingly good in the "B" Division. He got together a splendid round of nett 69 to beat another impressive player Avanka Herath who shot a great nett 70.

Takauki Best
Shimizu Takayuki was pretty good. A strong striker of the ball he played safe all the time protecting his strokes and eventually came through with the lowest score 66 recorded throughout the 4 day contest.

He picked a massive trophy beating K. Kumarakulasuriya who managed a comforting score of nett 71. Dr. K.K.U. Perera carried his old waltz swing into victory with a not so good score of nett 75 to collect the Seniors Cup beating Joe Perera who appeared quite unhappy with nett 77. There were dozens of centurions and as many contributing to packs of confetti.

Seniors Malkanthie Weerasinghe and Lilamani Weeraratne clad quite casually looked digital cool and comfortable through the pleasant miniature late night.

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