Sports
Of Sports Schools and schools sports
by Reemus Fernando
Continued from yesterday
Education and sports
Apart from Sports Schools (23) there are hundreds of other schools producing sportsmen and women to national level. For example there are 635 cricket playing (active) schools around the country. Of them 120 schools play cricket at Under-19 level where a vast majority of players are advanced level students. Cricket officials take an effort to get their players pass the O/L examination to retain them for the Under-19 team. But that interest is suddenly lost when the player enters A/L classes because ‘they are there to play cricket not to learn’. Many scholar athletes give up on education after passing the O/L exam. “That is not because they are weak students. But because they are not told about the importance of education,” says a former schools cricketer.
Over 50 first class cricketers lost their jobs at leading Companies (playing Mercantile Cricket) recently in the aftermath of the Covid 19 forced lock down because “they were there just to play cricket.” However some of these companies have not terminated the contracts of cricketers who also work in other departments while also making their cricket teams.
When the England Youth cricket team toured Sri Lanka in 2011 their back up staff had teachers to look after the education of players. Players who were not involved in matches were seen taking tuition in an area adjacent to the press box during their match at the Galle Stadium.
When Sri Lanka Cricket select a Youth team it is compulsory for them to accompany a schools representative appointed by the ministry of education. His duty is to represent the Education Ministry and is in charge of the players during the tour but has no ‘duty with regard to their education.’
When Sports Schools were started ‘teachers were assigned to work with scholar athletes who miss lessons due to training or competitions.’ Those teachers were paid extra for the tuition classes they conducted.’ That is hardly practiced at Sports Schools at present. Several International Schools which took sports seriously during the last two decades are doing a better job in this regard.
Hostels or stadiums
At schools level a hostel is as important as the stadium and other sports equipment to an athlete. The hostel facilities of Sports Schools are in almost dilapidated condition. A student obtaining sports scholarships should feel at home at hostels if he or she is to persevere in sports. The dormitory facilities of almost all Sports Schools need more room and speedy renovation.
It is incumbent upon Sports Ministry and the Ministry of Education to give serious thought to these considerations among other things and consult relevant officials who could provide inputs into making Sports Schools the nurseries of country’s future sportsmen and women.
Concluded.
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place tomorrow (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
by S K SAMARANAYAKE
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were on target as France surged past Morocco 2-0 to book their place in the World Cup semifinals.
Mbappe curled in his eighth goal of the tournament on 60 minutes on Thursday before Dembele doubled Les Bleus’ lead six minutes later to settle a clinical victory at the Gillette Stadium outside Boston.
The win sends the 2018 champions into a last-four showdown against either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.
African champions Morocco had been tipped to pose a serious threat to France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
But Didier Deschamps’ men were always in control against a limited Morocco side who failed to register a single shot on goal until an 83rd-minute free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi was parried away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France, though, struggled to find a breakthrough, and missed the opportunity to take the lead on 28 minutes when Mbappe saw a penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Mbappe had won the penalty after being brought down by Noussair Mazraoui but was forced to wait several minutes before being allowed to take the kick after a protracted VAR check.
Morocco managed to hold out to half-time, but it was always only a matter of time before France’s relentless pressure paid off.
The breakthrough came on the hour mark, with Mbappe bending a brilliant right-foot shot past Bounou from the edge of the area.
Paris Saint-Germain star Dembele made the game safe in the 66th minute, striding forward menacingly from midfield before steering a low finish into the bottom corner.
France now await the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal in Los Angeles between European champions Spain and Belgium.
[Aljazeera]
111th Vision Care Colombo Championship
Aahil Kaleel of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and Akesha Silva of Newstead College, Negombo emerged as the boys’ and girls’ Under-18 singles champions respectively at the 111th Vision Care Colombo Championship, played on Sri Lanka Tennis Association’s clay courts.
Aahil staged a remarkable comeback in the boys’ Under-18 final to defeat Rehan Gunawardhane 1-6, 6-4, 10-5 after dropping the opening set. The S. Thomas’ player enjoyed an impressive run to the title, overpowering Dehan Wickramasinghe 6-1, 6-1 in the quarter-finals before edging Mayooran Kubheran in a thrilling semi-final 4-6, 7-5, 10-7.
In the girls’ Under-18 final, Akesha Silva was crowned champion after Sahansa Damsiluni retired while trailing 1-0. Akesha booked her place in the final with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Gethmi Fernando in the semi-finals. Her toughest challenge came in the quarter-finals, where she outlasted Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 6-3, 6-7(4), 14-12 in a marathon encounter.
Akesha Silva
In the boys’ Under-18 doubles semi-finals, Mayooran Kubheran and Ashlin de Silva defeated Ranida Ranaweera and Ashmal Mohamed 5-4, 4-1, while Methika Wickramasinghe and Jayin de Seram overcame Jamal Sabry and Lithum Jayabandu 4-1, 2-4, 10-2 to set up the championship final.
Dharmaraja and Kingswood set for historic rugby clash on Saturday
Sri Lankan singer Mariazelle Goonetilleke passes away at the age of 68
Tensions erupt in Indian state after 11-year-old raped and murdered
US and Iran trade attacks as Khamenei is buried
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Canadian PM visits Saudi Arabia to strengthen energy, mining partnerships
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
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Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
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