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![]() 19th July 1998 |
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Duncan White is gone, but will be long rememberedBy Bernie Wijesekera
Mid-Summer Windsurfing hampionships on July 26By Baron de Livera(President, Windsurfing Association of Sri Lanka) Windsurfing became a popular sport among watersportsmen in Sri Lanka in the early eighties when it was realised that Sri Lanka could be developed into a prime destination for water sportsmen and enthusiasts. The Windsurfing Association of Sri Lanka was at that time formed by a group of top travel agents and hoteliers with the full support of the Ceylon Tourist Board and AirLanka. The idea was conceived in Germany. Among the persons involved were Anton Wickramaratne Managing Director V. I. P. Tours Agent for Condor Airline, Shelton de Alwis Director (V. I. P. Tours) Eardley Fernando (M. D. Goldisando Hotel Negombo), Pieter Pock (German Windsurfing Instructor) Mrs. Cristel Greishaber Wickramaratne, M. Samaradivakara, Director General Ceylon Tourist Board European office based in Frankfurt, Gerd Ramsch G. M. Jet Travels. Ramsch became first President of the windsurfing Association formed in 1983. The very first international Windsurfing Championship held on Nilaveli, Trincomalee in June 1984 was very successful. This was so because of the ideal conditions in Sri Lanka for windsurfing and the determination of the windsurfing Association to make the occasion an outstanding success. This was confirmed by Ms. Pat Howard professional race organiser of the first international championship who was a vice chairman of the windsurfing race committee at the Los Angeles Olympics. Since then there was no looking back. The Championship was sponsored by the Ceylon Tourist Board, AirLanka, Black and White scotch whiskey with a generous donation of more than £10,000 and windsurfing association Sri Lanka supported by reputed Hoteliers and travel agents. Windsurfing champions of international repute was drawn to Sri Lanka from this championship. They were amazed that they had not known before that Trincomalee was said to be a magnificient location for windsurfing. Nature lent a hand in promoting Sri Lanka as a water sports location by the consistency of the strong winds (which in fact continues for four months of the year) and kept windsurfing thrilled by the ideal conditions. One comment made by one of the competitors was that the winds were so ideal that when one woke up in the morning the mosquito net had blown away and their day was made. Among the local competitors was Mark Anthony Perera who made a mark at the Goodwill Games in the former U. S. S. R. Earlier at the international meet he won the Baron de Livera trophy for the best Sri Lankan windsurfing performance. It was at the 1984 first championship that the foreign competitors predicted that he was an Olympic prospect. Unfortunately he went off to the Middle East as an Instructor. The foreign participants were so enthralled by Nilaweli and what it offered that they fixed up tentative dates for the International championships the next year. Unfortunately the unstable security situation prevented the holding of this championship. The event enjoyed tremendous world coverage (beyond our comprehension) even media TV, camera film and Press, surfing magazines and journals covered it and featured it in all languages in the European continent. A German project had a 40 minute film show on TV during prime time at a cost of a million Deutschmarks. The Windsurfing Association got the fullest support from the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Sports, Ceylon Tourist Board Colombo and its Frankfurt office. All foreign participants were flown in by AirLanka and windsurfing gear was brought in by Condor German Airlines free of charge as part of the promotion. The magnificient championship cup was presented by AirLanka and won by Sweden's No. 1 Johan Salen the overall champion. Since, I have been President of the Windsurfing Association from 1985 up to the present, I have had a very close relationship with the organisation and I am very familiar with all its activities. In the succeeding years we have organised windsurfing meets and championships for local and foreign competitions and enthusiasts with great zeal. In February 1985 the Association obtained recognition from the Government for windsurfing as a national sport by extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 351/57/1985 through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Sports. We felt that our local surfers needed training by experts from abroad. So we obtained the services of one-time champions who were instructors of international repute. We were also able to find employment abroad for several of our surfers. Since then our surfers were able to participate and excel in international championships such as at the1986 Goodwill Games in the former U. S. S. R. and Asian Regattas in Singapore. Thus they received exposure abroad as well as opportunities of competing with World Cup and Olympic champions. Arrangements were made for training one of our surfers in Sydney under an Australian champion with all expenses met. Thusal Goonawardena who was selected unfortunately was unable to make it because of commitments in Europe. In 1986 about 300 Manufacturers, Dealers, Distributors and Windsurfers from the European continent brought their latest windsurfing boards etc for testing at Hambantota while attending a convention there. Lanka Sportsveizen and the Association will continue to sponsor and organise meets and championships in Sri Lanka in the future. Incidentally Tilak Weerasinghe who is secretary of the Association is also managing Director of Lanka Sportsveizen and he is the first Sri Lankan holder of an A Grade instructor's certificate from Verband Deutsche Windsurfing Schulen (V. D. W. S.) of West Germany, one of the foremost windsurfing schools in the world. Thusal Goonawardene is also the only other holder of this same certificate in Sri Lanka. At a press conference held recently at the Airport Garden Hotel, Katunayake, Mr. Ranjan Stanislaus General Manager Airport Garden Hotel and Mr. Ashok Fernando Sales Manager said that the Hotel will continue to give their unstinted support to promote the sport and that all facilities including windsurfing gear are available at the water sports centre run by Lanka Sportsveizen. Mr. Tilak Weerasinghe said that together with Airport Garden Hotel and W. A. S. L. a training programme for school children and others will be launched shortly. The clear shallow waters of the lagoon by the banks of the Hotel provide absolutely safe environment for all water sports activities. He also thanked 'Carlsberg Beer' Marketing Executive Nishantha Hulangamuwa and Ranjan de Silva, Brand Manager, and Airport Garden Hotel for the sponsorship and encouragement and looked forward to their continued support in the future.
Lankan gymnast tries for gold in OlympicsBy Jason Botchford
The team didn't qualify for the Atlanta Olympics and now it is working to change things as the 2000 Games approach. And one of the people the program is depending on is Roshan Amendra, a rising gymnastic star. The Scarborough native is heading to New Brunswick to move in to Kingswood, a new Olympic training center. Kingswood represents Canada's latest strategy in its attempt to improve results at international competitions. It will centralize training by keeping athletes living and working together in one place. Amendra turned down a scholarship opportunity at Nebraska to go to the center where he will attend University of New Brunswick while he trains. "Centralization is what the team needs to do to improve", Amendra said. "All the best guys will be training together". Five of Amendra's teammates are there right now and organizers are trying to get the whole gymnastic team there. Amendra said turning down the Nebraska proposition was a difficult one. But he wants to win at the international level and said his best chances would come from training in New Brunswick. "I've reached the point where I need another level of coaching', Amendra said. "Kingswood will offer me that". For Amendra (21) it's one more step toward his lifelong goal of going to the Olympics. He has been involved in gymnastics since he was 6 years old. He has competed in world competitions before. He went to Puerto Rico in his second year as a junior and Switzerland for the senior competition. But he missed out on his chance to make it to Atlanta when he got very sick at the Canadian qualifying meet. "I don't even remember a lot of the competition", he said. "And afterward I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay (competition in gymnastics)".Instead of quitting, however, Amendra discovered a new commitment to reaching his Olympic goal. And now how he is leaving everything he knows - his family, friends and community - to go all out for Sydney, host of the 2000 Games. "It will be hard on my father, who has always been there for me", he said. "But I'm pretty excited to get this opportunity. I only hope we can get the rest of the team to come.
Ruchira Palliyaguru needs consideration
He has the potential and know-how to play in the big leagues - in international (limited over cricket). Keep-fit Palliyaguru has the physical strength to match anyone in the limited overs game. A hard hitting batsman, he is a medium pace bowler who bowls with rare accuracy. To cap it off he is an excellent fielder with a fine arm to hurl the ball from the deep outfield. Last season Ruchira hammered five half centuries, with 62 runs as his highest against Panadura S. C. in 42 balls, with 3 sixes and 3 fours, as his best effort. While against Sebastianite S. C. cracked 60 not out (with six sixes, 3 fours in 23 balls). It speaks well for his aggressive and intelligent hitting all round. A dedicated young cricketer, Palliyaguru, has been highly commended by knowledgeable students of the game and has the temperament and ability for consideration, if the national selectors have any idea of planning to build a team for the one day international league, as he is an utility all-rounder when compared to some of the players who are still considered despite them not making any worthwhile contributions. Given the opportunity, Ruchira is bound to give of his best. According to Bloomfield C. and A. C. hierarchy, Palliyaguru is a fine team man and has regularly performed creditably for the success of the Club. He has captured 16 wickets for 317 runs, in 106.2 overs. In a tall scoring game - in the final against SSC - he captured 3 for 75 in 29.2 overs, with his accurate medium pace bowling. (B.W.)
Madras Boat Club beats ColomboMadras Boat Club beat Colombo Rowing Club by two points (22-20) in the 64th Regatta on the Beira Lake. In the first race, the Madras A pair, Karthik and Shanmugaraj beat Colombo's D. Aluwihara and R. Wanigathunga. In the scullers events Colombo B. S. Ganegoda beat Madras' N. Billimoria Colombo A. D. Sri Candrasekera was beaten by Madras's A, Dushmanth. At this stage Madras Boat club led 14-4. Colombo Rowing Club fought back when Colombo B's pair C. Thalpaheva and D. Maurice beat Madras B's Balaji and R. Sayeed in a close finish. The score then were Madras 14 and Colombo 10. In the fours the Madras B. crew, Karthick, Billimoria, Ravindran and Shanmugaraj coxed by Lakmal beat the Colombo B fours Chandrasekera, Jayasinghe, De Neise and Mendis coxed by Tennakoon. In the other fours race Colombo A's D. Maurice, C. Talpahewa, R. Wanigatunge, D. Aluwihare coxed by Shamil Edirisinghe beat the Madras A fours. The trial tally of points was Madras 22 to Colombo 20 In the Ladies' events too Madras were victorious with a score of 18 points to Colombo's 6 points. The Indian High Commissioner Shivanarayan Shankar, was the chief guest. |
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