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Infrastructure, basic facilities a must - Chanaka
By Marlon Fernandopulle
Sri Lanka's Rowing captain Chanaka Talpahewa has called on the authorities concerned to provide the necessary infrastructure and the basic facilities for the sport if rowing is to make any progress in the future.

Sri Lanka s first rowing captain Talpahewa made these comments after the Sri Lanka team came up with a creditable performance at the recently concluded SAF games in Islamabad,despite lacking the basic facilities."Our National Association does not have any boats nor the equipment.We do not have an International course in Sri Lanka although it is an international requirement.Despite these obstacles our team managed to be competitive and win a few medals".

Talpahewa stressed the need to get the boats and equipment on an urgent basis."There is a lot of enthusiasam and keenness amongst the players after our performance at the SAF games.We must ensure that we maintain this momentum as it will augur well for the sport.It's time that the authorities concerned helps the sport by getting us the boats and the basic equipment".

Although rowing as a sport has been practised in Sri Lanka for over a century the international exposure has been mimimal.The first international rowing event that Sri Lanka participated was at the 14 th Asian Games in Busan,South Korea in 2002.This was followed by the SAF games this year.According to Talaphewa rowing will be one of the events at the next SAF games which is scheduled in Sri Lanka.However he was of the view that a lot of work will have to be done including the purchase of boats,if Sri Lanka is to include rowing at the next SAF games.

An old boy of Royal College Chanaka Talpahewa started his rowing career while in school. A Graduate of the University of Colombo he has completed a MBA also from same University and has part completed a second masters degree once again at the Colombo University. He is also an attorney at law. A career diplomat by profession presently he is reading for a Masters degree in International Relations at the University of Cambridge in UK having taken time off from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At Cambridge he rowed for his College first VIII, another rare achievement for a Sri Lankan. Holder of two Sri Lanka records in rowing he achieved another record by coming first in the country at the open competitive exam conducted to recruit officers to the Foreign Service.

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