Sports

Delay in conducting Zonal Championships frustrates schools sports fraternity in Western Province

Published

3 years ago

2023/06/29

In this file picture athletes take part in a track event of the Western Province Schools Athletics Championships. The delay in conducting the Zonal Championships of the Western Province has frustrated the school sports fraternity of the province.

by Reemus Fernando

Thousands of school athletes in the Western Province have been waiting in vain for months not knowing exactly when their respective Divisional and Zonal Competitions would be held. While ‘lack of funds’ has forced a vast majority of education offices to cancel their Divisional Championships for the second consecutive year, all Zonal Education offices in the Western Province are yet to determine the dates for the Zonal Championships to the frustration of coaches, PTIs, athletes and their parents.

Zonal competitions are the first-round events of the Provincial and All Island Schools Games, from where the school athletes take their first steps in the journey towards national titles and international representation. The undue delay in conducting the vital sports event has not only hampered the progress of athletes but has also put in jeopardy the smooth functioning of the academic calendar in the Western Province.

“There are some eleven Zonal Offices in the Western Province. None of them have conducted their Zonal Championships to date. No one knows when they will be held,” a source close to the Department of Education in the Western Province told The Island.

That is in contrast to the affairs of their counterparts from other Provinces who have concluded their Zonal Competitions and are in the process of preparing for the next stage, the Provincial Competitions.

Generally, the Zonal Championships are held in May. According to the Sports Calendar prepared by the Ministry of Education (central government) for the year 2023, June 15 was the deadline to complete all Zonal Competitions.

Sources said that the respective Zonal education offices are yet to receive funds from the Department of Education of the Western Province to conduct their competitions. Many Zonal Education offices have prepared the groundwork to conduct the event as soon as they receive funds.

However, even if they receive funds they will not be able to conduct the events immediately as term tests will commence within a few days time.

Our attempts to contact Sirisoma Lokuwithana, the secretary of the Ministry of Education of the Western Province to inquire in this regard yesterday was futile

According to coaches and Physical Education Teachers, the number of students taking part in sports has dropped considerably this year due to economic constraints and the delays in conducting major sports events like the Zonal Competitions are likely to further discourage participation of students in sports.

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SCG curator ‘really happy’ with pitch for final Ashes Test

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The pitch at the SCG has been the centre of much attention [Cricinfo]

Todd Murphy is firming to play his first home Test, after the SCG’s head curator declared the pitch’s green covering would be near-irrelevant come day one.

With administrators still on edge after last week’s two day debacle in Melbourne, an extremely green SCG surface raised eyebrows in Sydney on Thursday.

But chief curator Adam Lewis insisted on Friday that should not be a concern, and he was hopeful Sydney would extend into a fifth day.

“You want to see green tinge three days out,” Lewis said. “If you’re not seeing any live grass three days out, then that’s when it’s a worry, … I’m really comfortable with where we’re sitting.

“We had a little bit of sun this morning. They’re saying a bit more sun tomorrow. That will take the greenness out of the pitch. We’re really happy with the pitches at the moment. We’re looking good.”

Lewis admitted he felt for MCG counterpart Matt Page last week, but said he felt no external pressure to ensure the fifth Test in Sydney went the distance.

It’s estimated that Cricket Australia (CA) has lost in the vicinity of AUD15 million in profits this summer, with the opening Test in Perth also finishing inside two days.

Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joked at a function with teams on Thursday night that they had to ensure the game went to day three, in order to support the McGrath Foundation fundraiser.

One of the hardest grounds in the world to bowl on between 2014 and 2023, last year’s SCG Test was over in just two-and-a-half days.

Lewis said that his ground staff would go with 6mm of grass this year compared to 7mm last season, while also reducing its density. That in itself generally acts to flatten out the wicket and produce less movement, while also inviting the chance of spin late in the match.

“We just thought … we could thin our density out a little bit,” Lewis said. “That’s what we’ve done this year. We’ve practised that in the Shield matches and we’ve received very good marks.”

CA CEO Todd Greenberg said he too was confident the SCG Test would last the distance.

“I’ve had more phone calls and conversations about wickets and millimetres of grass than I thought I’d ever have,” Greenberg said. “But I’m hopeful and confident we will have a long and productive Test match here.”

All of which should spell good news for Murphy. Australia’s coaching staff had a prolonged conversation around the pitch on Friday morning, after leaving Murphy out and going with four quicks at the MCG.

Murphy then spent most of Friday’s training session bowling to Australia’s top order, while Alex Carey also had an extended run keeping to him.

With seven Tests to his name overseas, Murphy would be expected to come in for Jhye Richardson if he does play in Sydney.

England have promised to take the attack to Murphy, who played two Tests during the 2023 Ashes were he conceded 4.72 an over.

“Whoever plays, I think that’s the mantra of our team, is to try and put pressure on people,” opener Zak Crawley, said. “Todd’s a very good bowler, but I can envisage us trying to put some pressure on him, like we would all their bowlers.

That’s going to come with some risks, and if it’s turning it’s definitely going to be a threat. But I think we’ll try and put pressure on all their bowlers.”

The other question for Australia will be whether Cameron Green remains in the side, after Beau Webster was spotted fielding in the gully during slips training on Friday. Green has averaged 18.66 with the bat in this series. The SCG was the scene of Webster’s debut a year ago against India.

[Cricinfo]

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Pramod hits 42 runs in an over

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The young cricketer from D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo shares the same name as Sri Lanka fast bowler Pramod Madushan. However, the 19-year-old is a wicketkeeper batter.

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Usman Khawaja has played 22 Ashes Tests [BBC]

Australia batter Usman Khawaja will retire from international cricket following the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney this week.

The 39-year-old will play his 88th and final Test on the ground where he made his debut against the same opponents in January 2011.

Khawaja was born in Pakistan and became the first Muslim to play for Australia when he took the place of Ricky Ponting at the end of England’s 3-1 series win 15 years ago.

The left-hander has made 6,206 Test runs at an average of 43.39, with 16 hundreds.

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He was also part of the Australia team that won the World Test Championship in 2023.

The final Test at the SCG starts on Sunday (23:30 GMT, Saturday).

Alongside Steve Smith, Khawaja is one of two remaining members of the Australia team beaten by England in their most recent series win in this country in 2010-11.

He needs 30 runs in his final Test to go above Mike Hussey and into 14th on Australia’s all-time run-scorers list, behind the great Donald Bradman in 13th.

Khawaja played the last of his 40 one-day internationals in 2019, having scored 1,554 runs at 42. He played in nine T20 internationals, scoring 241 runs at 26.77.

Now playing domestically for Queensland, Khawaja will end his career on the ground that was his home when he first played professional cricket for New South Wales in 2008.

Often in and out of the Australia team during his Test career, he found a home at the top of the order during the previous home Ashes in 2021-22.

However, his place has come under scrutiny during this series after he suffered back spasms in the first Test that prevented him from opening.

Travis Head took Khawaja’s place in the second innings and made a swashbuckling century to lead Australia to an eight-wicket win.

Khawaja subsequently missed the second Test with the back problem and was due to be left out of the third, only to receive a late call-up when Steve Smith fell ill.

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[BBC]