The Cricket world is ours...thank you Murali, an achievement that is impossible to contemplate, impossible to imagine ever being broken or bettered and a summary of excellence beyond all norms. It is tempting and most appropriate for me to run off a whole appreciation of the lad, but I will resist and reserve that for a more rational occasion, once I have spoken with the 'wizard of spin.'

Greetings sports citizens of my paradise island. It's been a week of incredible fortune for our cricketers, winning the test opener against the fancied Indians in Galle...setting themselves up for the Colombo test with tons of confidence and bundles of belief. Let's wish them good solid focus and more determination to win the series...a feat that will ring loudly around the world.

I have always believed that we need to share the cricket blood example and look to breed true international class with our tennis, squash, badminton, netball, hockey, rowing, swimming etc...sports that we can genuinely have an impact in Asia for starters. Athletics is the brightest if we get it right… and the darkest if we get it wrong.

The Commonwealth Games is looming large and I am triple curious to see how our athletes are shaping up...are there any real medal prospects and any magical possibilities?
Rugby 7s is perhaps our toughest assignment at the games, with the absolute best in the world lining up from England, New Zealand, Fiji, Kenya, Wales, South Africa....spare a thought for our island boys that weekend ...courage, guts, belief, pride and an incredible sense of nervous energy will command their attention and dictate their thoughts from now till October .

The Asian squash tournament just wrapped up, was a defining moment for the game in our country, and a matter of huge achievement for the federation ..top stuff and well done to Oliver Guruge and his able team, for surprising the Asian parent body with a splendidly run operation.

Significant and harsh reality, the stupendous improvement by team India.. is a lesson in basic hard work and sharp planning. The big secret for kids in our country , whatever your chosen discipline, individual or team sport...is about your performance level, your own fitness, how much you stretch, your flexibility, reaction time, endurance, nutrition and attitude. Natural skills are measured and can be your asset, if you are working on all the simple needs after you have got fit.

Parents , coaches, trainers, masters in charge must be aware of this cardinal rule...do not push the kids into competitive sport, unless and until they are fit to play the game...it's dangerous to trust that luck will play a part in the way ahead...luck is useless and a myth...hard work and fitness craft the possibility of luck.

Let's look forward to a new reality of grading , so all active children are required to maintain a basic level of performance fitness...start them on the right path from the outset , then the Sri Lankan , a fit islander is a matter of planning, breeding, careful direction and big hearts that will not stop.

The future is knowledge and how well we learn to enjoy our skill and have the will to defy the odds…it's hardly anything if you truly believe....ask Murali, and the answer will stun you into silence .