The 14th annual Colonel Henry Steel Olcott Memorial Cricket carnival will be held today (February 26) in Sharjah, UAE featuring the old boys from Ananda, Nalanda, Dharmaraja, Maliyadeva, Rahula, Dharmapala, Mahinda and Dharmasoka.
The cricket tournament was started in 2007 with five schools; Ananda, Nalanda, Mahinda, Dharmaraja, and Maliyadeva and since then this event has grown from strength to strength. The number of participating schools increased to eight in 2011 with Dharmapala, Dharmasoka and Rahula in line with the Olcott Schools Cricket Tournament being conducted in Sri Lanka.
This annual event has won the hearts of all Sri Lankans including old boys of Olcott schools and their families in the UAE where they get the opportunity to meet and awaken their past memories during school days.
Newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UAE, a prominent old boy of Dharmasoka College, Dr. Udaya Indrarathne will be the chief guest of the event while Consul General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and Northern Emirates Nalinda Wijeratne will be the Guest of Honour and present the awards.
Ananda will be captained by Nimesh Thajudeen, Nalanda by Kavindu Gamage, Dharmaraja by Eranga Hettiarachchi, Maliyadeva by Harsha Kumarasinghe, Dharmapala by Ranidun Jayampathi and Mahinda by Thilina Mendis.