As a gesture of goodwill and support to up and coming northern cricketers, Minister of Power, Energy and Business Development Ravi Karunanayake last Friday presented cash vouchers for two years to two star cricketers representing the Jaffna Central College who had excelled at several matches including the Australian tour of Sri Lanka last month, the Indian tour in July last year and at the youth Asian Cup in Bangladesh.
S. Madhushan (19) who captains the Jaffna Central College team is an all-rounder and V. Viyaskanth (18) of the same school is a right arm leg spinner who took four wickets at the match against the Indian team, including the wicket of Arjun, the son of Sachin Tendulkar.
Couch and Prefect of the Games S. Suresh Kumar together with Madhushan and Viyaskanth received the vouchers from Minister Karunanayake and while addressing the gathering of media personnel explained their various shortcomings and lack of facilities that stand in the way of rising to higher standards especially the need for turf pitches.
They also put forward a request to the Minister for the construction of turf pitches.
The vouchers are for two years providing Rs.10,000 for every month for the practices and other expenses. Part of the assistance was from his personal funds while the rest was a contribution from his Ministry according to Minister Karunanayake.