With a new year approaching, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, S.B. Dissanayake in a goodwill gesture, told The Sunday Times that he will be instructing the President of the National Amateur Aquatic Sports Union (NAASU) Henry Perera, to lift the suspension of the four swimmers.
The NAASU suspended Marlon S. Delano, Suranga Perera, Asanga Warusawitharana and Asela Pradeep over a shop-lifting allegation in Taipei at the invitational meet in July this year. They were suspended for a period of two years from participating in local and foreign meets for this duration.
With the SAF Games in September 1997 in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sri Lanka's chances of a few more medals look bright with these swimmers taking part.
Minister Dissanayake told The Sunday Times that he was recommending the removal of the suspension with immediate effect since they were only schoolboys.
Meanwhile, The Sunday Times also learns that these four swimmers could now participate in any meet conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Aquatic Association.
This was confirmed by both the Deputy Director General of Education (Sports) Sunil Jayaweera and Asoka Senanayake, the Secretary of the Schools Association.
Incidentally Delano was pipped at the finish by an Indian in the 1500 metres free style event at the last SAF Games in Madras. Delano won the silver medal. The Indian was timed at 17 minutes 20 seconds while Delano's timing was 17 minutes 25 seconds.
Melbourne, Dec 28 (Reuter) - Fast bowler Curtly Ambrose silenced his critics with a nine-wicket match haul to lift West Indies to an emphatic six-wicket win in the third test against Australia yesterday.
The giant Antiguan put behind him a succession of lacklustre performances on the tour as West Indies wrapped up a remarkable victory inside three days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Number three Shivnrine Chanderpaul calmed his side's nerves in their run chase with a composed 40 but it was left to Carl Hooper to hit the winning runs to conclude an eventful day during which 14 wickets fell.
Ambrose, whose three wickets in the first two tests were achieved a dismal average of 93, tripled that tally to finish with outstanding match figures of nine for 72.
His efforts helped rout Australia for 122 in their second innings yesterday, leaving West Indies to score 87, a target they achieved for the loss of four wickets.
After losing three early wickets, Chanderpaul and Hooper added 60 runs for the fourth wicket to help steer West Indies home.
The victory cut Australia's lead to 2-1 in the five-test series with two tests remaining.
Ambrose's only complaint will be directed at fellow fast bowler Kenneth Benjamin who claimed the last Australian second inning's wicket to fall, preventing him from honouring a pre-match promise to take 10 wickets in the match.
His figures were all the more noteworthy given that he was handicapped by a slight calf muscle strain yesterday.
Despite the victory, West Indies will remain concerned about the dismal form of vice-captain and key batsman Brian Lara.
The temperamental left-hander has scored a paltry seven runs in his last four test innings.
Scoreboard
Australia second innings M.Taylor c Hooper b Walsh 10 M.Hayden b Ambrose 0 J.Langer c Hooper b Ambrose 0 M.Waugh lbw b Walsh 19 S.Waugh b Benjamin 37 G.Blewett c Murray b Walsh 7 I.Healy b Benjamin 0 P.Reiffel lbw b Benjamin 8 S.Warne c Adams b Ambrose 18 J.Gillespie lbw Ambrose 2 G.McGrath not out 5 Extras (lb-4 w-1 nb-11) 16 Total (45.5 overs) 122 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-3, 3-28, 4-47, 5-64, 6-65, 7-76, 8-107, 9-113. Bowling: Ambrose 12-4-17-4 (nb-4), Bishop 10-2-26-0 (nb-3 w-1), Walsh 11-4-41-3 (nb-4), Benjamin 12.5-5-34-3. West Indies second innings S.Campbell c Hayden b McGrath 0 R.Samuels lbw b McGrath 13 S.Chanderpaul b Reiffel 40 B.Lara c Hayden b McGrath 2 C.Hooper not out 27 J.Adams not out 1 Extras (nb-4) 4 Total (for four wickets, 23.5 overs) 87 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-25, 3-22, 4-82. Bowling: McGrath 9-1-41-3, Reiffel 9-2-16-1 (nb-4), Warne 3-0-17-0, Blewett 2.5-0-13-0.
Sri Lanka's best bets for winning a medal at the Asian Games will undoubtedly be women sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe, hurdler Sriyani Kulawansa and quarter miler Sugath Tillekaratne.
Susanthika, amid all the controversies of the drug scandal, came out clean and is today counted as Asia's Fastest Woman.
But suprisingly there is nothing much to be said about of those willing to take over from the present lot after their dismal performance at the Asian Junior Track and Field Championships concluded this month in New Delhi, where they even failed to win a bronze medal.
In another two to three years, Sri Lanka would fail in the SAF Games too, if something is not done quickly to raise the standards.
Golf
Sri Lanka had the privilege of playing among the world's best golfers through qualification of the earlier rounds in South Africa by Nandasena Perera and Tissa Chandradasa.
Boxing
The sport which had produced a silver medalist in the Asian Games, saw the army dominate all the local championships retaining the National title for the third year in succession, with Sumith Prasanna making a major contribution while schoolboy N.B. Walisundera too being a force to be reckoned with.
Basketball.
Colombo clubs were put to shame by Ratnapura.
Billiards and Snooker
Sri Lanka, who produced only its first world champion in M. J. M. Laffir, is set to stage the World Snooker championships in the year 1998.
The two some, who could put Sri Lanka on the map, will be Indika Dodangoda and Susantha Boteju two good top play makers
In the recently concluded South African tour to India, Herschelle Gibbs, South African opening batsman scored 200 not out and 171 in the match with India 'A.'
Going through the pages of Wisden by his feat, Gibbs became the 34th player to score a double hundred and a hundred in the same match in first class cricket.
Of these Zaheer Abbas achieved it four times, viz. 216 not out and 156 not out, Gloucestershire v. Surrey in 1976, 230 not out and 104 not out, Gloucestershire v. Kent in 1976, 205 not out and 108 not out, Gloucestershire v. Sussex and 215 not out and 150 not out, Gloucestershire v. Somerset in 1981 (all not outs which is itself is a record).
M.R. Hallam of Leicestershire and N.R. Jayler of Kent achieved it twice. Among others who achieved this feat (once) are C.B. Try, W.W. Armstrong, D.E. Bradman, Lawrence Row, Bert Suctcliffe and K.S. Duleepsinji.
Two double hundreds in a match: Arthur E. Fragg - 244 & 202 not out, Kent v. Sussex 1938.
Triple hundred and a hundred in a match: G.A. Gooch - 333 and 123, England v. India 1990.
A hurricane century by Kavinda Nanayakkara helped Royal score a thrilling victory over St. Benedict's with 8 balls to spare at Reid Avenue yesterday.
St. Benedict's declared their second innings at 123/8 and set the Royalist 175 to win in 25 overs. The home side reached the target in the penultimate over mainly due to an unfinished 4th wicket stand of 142 runs between Nanayakkara(101 n.o) and R Jayasuriya (42 n o). Nanayakkara had four sixes and 11 fours in his breezy knock.
St. Benedict's 243/9 declared and 123/8 dec. (D Silva 47 P De Silva 57 A Sangeeva 2/24 A Watawala 2/32)
Royal 191/8 decl. and175/3 (K. Nanayakkara 101 n.o, R Jayasuriya 47 n o)
Singers will defend their Mercantile A Division title played for the 'Panadol Trophy' conducted by the Mercantile Hockey Association scheduled to get underway on January 22.
The other teams in the fray are Arpico, Air Lanka, Commercial Bank, Bartleets, Hong Kong Bank, Hatton National Bank, and John Keells.
Singers are the League, knock-out and 'sevens' champions for 1996.
Bartleets have made a welcome return to A Division hockey by recruiting many a talented hockey player from the schools and they will be forced to be reckoned with stated Brian Baptist a Senior Vice Patron of the Mercantile Hockey Association and Bartleets.
All matches which will get underway on January 22 and conclude on March 13th will be played at the Astro Turf at Reid Avenue.
Meanwhile, the B.C & D. Division league tournament is scheduled to commence on January 7.
The B and C Division matches will be played at the P. Sara Stadium, while the D Division matches will be played at the Malay grounds, Slave Island.
Annesley Ferreira and Marlon Fernandopulle take a look back at the year that was when Sri Lanka bagged the richest
prize to be World Cup champions in the one day game.
Sri Lanka cherished their finest moment when they pocketed the Wills World Cup in the sub continent. The triumph surpassed any other event, sports or otherwise, as it put the tiny island on the World Map, and was without doubt the most talked about event of the year.
The World Cup itself had it's own controversies as Sri Lanka went in as underdogs to upset the form books before cutting the Aussies to size in an epic final at Lahore.
They played spirited and entertaining cricket batting as the West Indies used to do before Regage replaced Calypso. The rollicking starts of Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana which took the game to a new dimension will remain as the trade mark of the Wills World Cup.
Captain Arjuna Ranatunge marshalled his troops astutely during the tournament to ensure that cricket's richest prize was in the sub-continent for another four years. Vice captain Aravinda de Silva was in prolific form as he capped the tournament with a majestic century to join Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards as the only other centurians in a World Cup final. Fittingly opener Sanath Jayasuriya was voted player of the tournament for his swashbuckling knocks that re-defined the role of an opener in the one day games.
For the millions of cricket fans who watched the final on Television in Sri Lanka the night of 17th March will long be remembered. Celebrations began as soon as Ranatunge glided Mcgrath to the third man boundary and continued throughout the night as thousands of Lankans took to the streets and danced for joy.
With the champagne still flowing Sri Lanka went down to Pakistan in a trangular tournament in Singapore. However the tournament gave the opportunity for opener Sanath Jayasuriya to establish a couple of world records. Jayasuriya peppered the Pakistan attack to break the one day world record for the fastest 50, century, number of sixes and runs from one over. Infact the laws of gravity took a rest when Jayasuriya was at the crease as he used his bat like a magician waving his hand to send the ball where he liked.
Sri Lanka proved that their world cup victory was no flash in the pan as they drubbed the Aussies in the final of the Singer 4-nation tournament held in Colombo. The Australians were minus regular skipper Mark Taylor and Shane Warne and were led by Ian Healy. India and Zimbabwe were the other participating teams.
Vice captain Aravinda de Silva was in cracking form to aggregate over 300 runs and to remain unbeaten in four innings. This spectacular innings with the bat earned him the man of the tournament award.
The fall from the exalted perch of world champions was swifter than the climb as Sri Lanka lost two successive one day tournaments in Kenya and Sharjah. The world champions were pipped out in both tournaments after the calculators were brought in to decide the finalists on the run rate.
This year also marked the premature exit of Lankan born Australian and team Coach Davenall Whatmore. Whatmore was not seeing eye to eye with the Cricket Board & Management and quit to take up an appoinment with English county Lancashire. As a replacement the CB has obtained the former Australian Test Cricketer Bruce Yardley.
CR & FC led by Viraj Prassana won the Inter-Club league title after 22 years. The red shirts went through the season unbeaten to win all 14 games. Defending champions Kandy SC had to be content with the runners up position.
However the club from the hill capital under Imthie Marikar went on to win the knock-out tournament and the President's trophy.
Isipatana dominated the schools rugby scene winning the Milo league and the knock-out tournament to stamp their superiority at school level. Trinity under Lion Suranga Amarasinghe won the Bradby Shield by taking both the Colombo & the Kandy leg.
The fixtures meeting of the Horlicks trophy inter-schools under-13 final round will be held tomorrow at the D.S. Senanayake College Hall at 10 a.m.
All masters-in-charge of their respective schools cricket teams are thereby requested to be present at this meeting.
The schools requested to be present are:-
Division 1- St Anthony's Kandy,Thurstan, St. Sebastians, D.S. Senanayake, Maliyadeva.
Division 2- Joseph Vaz,Dharmapala Pannipitiya, Lumbini MV, Vidyaratha, Ananda Elpititya,Mahabodhi MV.
Division 3 - Henry Olcott,Mahanama,St. Thomas' Kotte, D.S. Senanayake C, Moratu MV, Dharmaloka MV A Kelaniya, St. Xavier's Marawila, Wickremabahu MV Gampola, St Mary's Kegalle, St. John's A Panadura, Royal Panadura, Tissa MMV Kalutara, St Mary's Matugama. Basilca MMV Ragama, Mayurapada MMV and Sri Rahula Kandy.
Brian Lara has always rated his 277 in Sydney four years ago as the defining innings of his career, better even than his world test record of 375. Lara has never forgotten it, as shown by the naming of his first born daughter Sydney.
n Mark Waugh is on the verge of retiring the most famous thigh pad in the game. The piece of protective equipment which carries a penned stick figure for every one of his 59 first-class centuries has simply given in to age. Waugh has used over 30 bats in his decade long first class career, but has stuck to the one thigh guard.
n Australia seem certain to be playing for another new trophy in South Africa later this summer. The Mandela Trophy is likely to be perpetuated for test contests between the nations in honour of South African leader Nelson Mandela in 1988.
n The women's World Cup is to be staged over two weeks in India in December 1997. The tournament has grown to 12 teams with new entries from Pakistan, Canada, Japan and South Africa. - Inside Edge
SSC batsmen made merry, as they sent Bloomfield on a leather hunt, to be in a commanding position at the end of the second day in a P. Sara Trophy match played at Maitland Place yesterday.
After restricting Bloomfield to a modest 161 all out, SSC piled up 352/9 before declaring half an hour before the close. Left hander Hemantha Wickremaratne anchored the innings with a defiant 84 in 168 balls. Wickremaratne hit 7 boundaries and was associated in a useful 100-run partnership for the 7th wicket with Pramodya Wickremasinghe (48), to put the home side in the box seat.
Earlier, Marvan Atapattu (44), Arjuna Ranatunge (31) and Mahela Jayawardene (60) paved the way for SSC's big score.
Trailing by 191 runs, Bloomfield were on the wrack once again to be 27 for 1 by the close. Sanath Jayasuriya weathered a fiery spell from Nuwan Soyza and Chaminda Boteju to be unbeaten on 13.
Tamil Union set the stage for an outright victory over Panadura SC at the Sara Stadium.
The home side hit 310 and then bowled Panadura out for 144. Muttaih Muralitharan was among the wickets once again and captured 5 for 28. Following on, the visitors have already lost half their side for 78 runs. Medium pacer Chaminda Hathurusinghe was the chief wrecker claiming 4 for 33.
Antonians SC did well to earn a 1st innings win by a slender 7 runs against Police at Police Park.
Chasing the home side's 138, Antonians scored 145. T. Kodikara was the top scorer with a lively 46. Right arm leg spinner P.K. Serasinghe was the pick of the bowlers claiming 6 for 38.
Police in their second innings were 198/4 by the close. Nihal Soysa hit an impressive 73 for the cops.
At Maitland Place: SSC vs Bloomfield. Bloomfield 161 all out and 27/1 (Sanath Jayasuriya 13 n.o.,) SSC 352/9 decl. (Anura Gunawardene 34, Mahela Jayawardene 60, Marvan Atapattu 44, Arjuna Ranatunge 31, Promodya Wickremasinge 48, Hemantha Wickremaratne 84, Ruwan Kalpage 4/72, Suranga Wijenayake 2/50)
At P. Sara Stadium : Tamil Union vs Panadura SC. Tamil Union - 310 all out. Panadura - 144 all out. (Dilip Ruwan 32, Indika Keerthi 36 n.o.. Muttaih Muralitharan 5/28, Upul Chandana 2/37) and 79/5 (Chaminda Hathurusinghe 4/33).
At Police Park: Police SC vs Antonians SC Police -138 & 198/4. (R.Janaka 27, C. Liyanage 47, N. Soyza 73, R. Wimalasiri 26 n.o.) Antonians SC - 145 all out. (T. Kodikara 46, P.K. Serasinghe 6/38).
By S.M.D. Sirisena
NCC scored 300 for 9 declared in reply to the Sebastianite total of 172 in a P' Sara Trophy cricket match played at Moratuwa yesterday.. Russel Arnold of NCC scored 119 which included 19 fours. Russel with Ruwin Pieris put on a 54 run partnership for the first wicket. He again was associated in a 53 run partnership for the fourth wicket with Aviska Gunawardana.
In the second innings Sebastianite were 44 for 1.
Sebastianite 172. (S.K. Silva 58, Marlon Pieris 31, K.P. Pushpakumara 6 for 64, Russel Arnold 2 for 47, N. Samarasekara 2 for 15 and 44/1, Bodiyabaduge 31 n.o.)
NCC 300 for 9 dec. (Russel Arnold 116, Ruwin Pieris 27, Sanjeewa Ranatunga 25, Avishka Gunawardana 26, Chamara Dunusinghe 34 n.o. Abdul Jabbar3 for 97)
The Sri Lanka Table Tennis Association will have their hands full with six foreign tours being lined-up for them for next year.
The first tour lined up will be the tour of Kerala, towards the end of next month, with the participation of three men and women players followed by the tour to Bangladesh from February 26 to March 2 with the same number of players participating.The Commonwealth and World Championships will be the third in calendar of events followed by the German TT championships.
The Commonwealth TT championships will be held in Germany from April 14 to 21 and the World Championships will be held from April 24 to May 5 in Glasgow, England and Manchester, England.
The Sri Lankan team which will comprise 3 men and women that will participate in the German Cup in Trior, Germany.
Before the SAF Games in Nepal in September, the Sri Lankan paddlers are expected to participate in the Qatar championships, organised by the Qater TT Association.
Meanwhile, the TT Association has picked on the following to the national pool.
Men - Thilini L. Piyadasa, Indika Prasad, Chamara Dusmantha, Ravi Vidyan, Rohan Sirisena, D. M. G. S. Dikkumbura, B. R. B. Dikkumbura, K. S. T. Chalitha, Duminda Herath, Nuwan Sampath, Rohan Deshapriya.
Women - Dilmini Direckze, Namal Gunasekera, Deepika Rodrigo, Rifkha Kameel, Samantha Jayadeva, Punya Nanayakkara, Kaushalya Gunaratne, Dilini Madawela.
All Poolists are requested to attend a meeting fixed for Monday December 30 at the S. Thomas' College Indoor Stadium, Mount Lavinia at 10 a.m.
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