Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Gamage, has launched a program to develop cricket in schools from the Northern Province that do not play the game in Sri Lanka.
The first program was held on February 15 at the Kilinochchi District Sports Development Hall. Under this program, cricket equipments were donated under the chairmanship of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports. A total of 47 schools in the Northern Province benefited by this program.
Speaking at the event, the Minister Sunil Gamage said that the main objective of this program is to involve students from schools in rural areas in cricket because sports is an important means to improving coexistence. Thereby, the Minister said that he had decided to start this program in the Northern Province.
Meanwhile, the government has allocated Rs. 1500 million in the 2025 budget for the development of cricket among schoolchildren. The Kilinochchi District Secretary, Local Government Director, Northern Provincial Sports Director and principals, teachers and students from these 47 schools participated in the event.
Incidently, the Minister of Sports Sunil Gamage and the Jaffna District Government Agent Maradalingam Pratheepan jointly visited the Jaffna Duraiappa Sports Stadium on February 16.
During this visit they found there were some shortcomings in the stadium. They examined the lighting facilities, maintenance facilities and the construction of an indoor stadium was incomplete and requested the Head of the State to develop the facilities until completed.
The minister of sports held further discussions regarding the land already allocated for the construction of an international cricket stadium in the Velanai Divisional Secretariat and its current status.
