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Sport for Peace
East plays South on the International Day of Peace
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03 October 2008 |
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Galle played host to a team of young cricketers from the East recently. The Peace Secretariat organised a friendly match between the visitors and their Southern counterparts to mark the International Day of Peace on September 21st. It was a symbolic event, but the experiences related here demonstrate its worth both in and of itself and as a model for peace-building activities with youth in the future. Sport really does bring people together.
The Easterners had plenty to say about their first trip down South. 'We haven't felt any difference – it’s just like our village. We hope this same feeling of camaraderie is to be found throughout the island,’ they declared. |
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It was a very encouraging message. The Peace Secretariat has adopted the idea of establishing bonds of friendship between the regions under its concept of ‘Sport for Peace’. The trip was the first by an Eastern youth team to the South, but it came in the wake of another event involving Colombo schools and a Northern youth team.
Galle took on a festive atmosphere to welcome its visitors from the East. Streets were adorned with buntings and banners of greeting were displayed too. It sent out a powerful message about the desire for harmony between the communities. |
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'We haven't felt any difference – it’s just like our village. We hope this same feeling of camaraderie is to be found throughout the island.’ |
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The Eastern team arrived on Friday 19th to an enthusiastic welcome by officials of the Southern Provincial Council. They were comfortably lodged at the Management Training Institute, Wackwella, Galle. |
After net practice on the morning of Saturday 20th, the Easterners joined in a Hindu religious pooja at the Sri Kthiravalayuda Kovil in Kaluwella, Galle. Mr. Shan Wijayalal de Silva, the Chief Minister of the Southern Province and a large number of Tamil devotees participated as well. Addressing the ceremony, the President of the Galle Jewellery Merchants Association highlighted the unity prevailing amongst the various communities in the area. The majority community has made sure that this Hindu kovil could hold its Deepa Aradanai or the light pooja daily without interruption even during the July 1983 riots, he said. The Chief Priest then honoured the Southern Province Chief Minister with a golden shawl. |
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The Easterners were impressed to find three Hindu kovils in Galle. ‘We are very happy! Seeing really is believing – we never thought that we would find a kovil in this Southern city,’ they said. Another kovil is under construction now. |
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‘Seeing really is believing – we never thought that we would find a kovil in this Southern city!’ |
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Ven. Kandamuldeniye Chandima Nayaka Thero, the Chief Incumbent of the Galle Buddhist Vihara, invited the visitors to the International Buddhist Centre at Kaluwella, Galle, for the chanting of ‘seth pirith’ and the tying of the holy string (‘pirith noola’). The Tamil youths paid their respects to the monk in the traditional manner and the Buddhists gathered were delighted with |
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their humility. Addressing the ceremony, Mr. Shan Wijayalal de Silva the Southern Province Chief Minister described it as an historic occasion. Hundreds of students attending religious classes at the Buddhist Centre surrounded the Tamil youths, shaking hands to demonstrate their friendship.
On Saturday 20th evening, there was a press conference attended by members of both teams. Addressing the gathering, Mr J M Nizam, the Deputy Director (Social Affairs), Peace Secretariat asserted that the visit by the Eastern youths had shown the world that the majority community were not suppressing minorities and denying their rights as was claimed by some groups abroad. It served as an eye opener to the true situation in the country, he said.
Mr de Silva, the Chief Minister, honoured the teams with a dinner, which was also attended by local religious and community leaders. Afterwards, they were invited to a cultural pageant featuring Southern song and dance artistes. |
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The game itself was held on the morning of Sunday 21st at the newly refurbished Galle International Cricket Stadium. Before the action got underway, the Southern Province Chief Minister, Mr T Navaratnarajah, the Acting Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, and the teams were brought through the streets of the town in a procession led by five of the top school bands. The Sri Lankan flag was run up and the players of both sides were introduced to the VIPs. |
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Winning the toss, the Eastern team called upon the Southerners to bat first. The Southern team, which included a number of star performers, scored 156 runs in their allotted overs. In reply, the visitors were able to score only 92 runs since they had difficulty in getting used to the turf pitch.
On Sunday 21st evening, Mr. Namal Rajapaksa, head of the Tharunyata Hetak (Tomorrow for Youth) Organisation and son of the President of Sri Lanka, presided over the awards ceremony. The trophies were donated by Tharunyata Hetak. The Southern Provincial Council presented mementos to all of the team members as well. Mohanan, the Captain of the Eastern team said that they did not consider it a defeat. It was rather an encouragement to do better. They had been handicapped because they lacked experience in playing on a turf wicket, he added. |
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Mr. Namal Rajapaksa led a meeting with both teams later on Sunday 21st. Immediate solutions were found to several issues faced by the Eastern cricketers. Tharunyata Hetak promised to develop the grounds at the Hindu College in Trincomalee within the next one and a half months. Cricket equipment is also to be donated and coaching services made available. Mr. Namal Rajapaksa undertook to select five outstanding cricketers from the Eastern region every month to be sent for training at the Dambulla International Cricket Training Camp. They also discussed plans for holding a 20-20 tournament in the East. The Southern cricketers had ample opportunity to present issues of concern to them as well. |
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The Easterners very much appreciated the opportunity. ‘It was a new experience for us. Speaking to the President's son was like meeting the President himself. He was like a brother to us and we are pleased at the way he came forward to help us,’ explained Mohanan, the captain of the Eastern team. |
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Sunday 21st concluded with another song and dance event with Tamil and Sinhala music, to the delight of all gathered. Before departing on Monday 22nd, the Eastern youths called in at a number of the leading schools in Galle. They were able to interact with Southern students who offered souvenirs to remember their historic visit. The Coordinator of Galle District Cricket also presented the visitors with gifts to mark the occasion.
Summing up their experience in the South, the Eastern cricketers said with one voice, ‘We are thankful to the Peace Secretariat for giving us this opportunity. We hope to see our brothers from the North playing cricket in the South one day too.’ The Peace Secretariat fervently hopes that their wish for peace comes true in the very near future. |
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On the sidelines of the match, the visiting Acting Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and the Southern Provincial Minister for Cooperative Development were able to initiate several moves to send the produce of the East to the South. |
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Communications Division
Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process |
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Violations Committed
by the GOSL - 351
