Sports
Peace Corps returns North: 23 new volunteers sworn in
US Ambassador Julie Chung joined Peace Corps Sri Lanka Country Director Jeffrey Goveia in Vavuniya today to administer the Pledge of Service to twenty-three new Peace Corps Volunteers. Nimali Baduraliya, Director of English and Foreign Languages at the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, also attended the ceremony. The event marked a major milestone for the US Peace Corps as the incoming Volunteers begin their two-year assignments supporting English language education across Sri Lanka, expanding Peace Corps’ presence beyond existing placements in the Uva and Central Provinces into communities in the Northern and North Central Provinces for the first time in decades.
In her virtual remarks, Ambassador Chung highlighted the spirit of service and the people-to-people ties at the heart of the US–Sri Lanka partnership. “Today we celebrate service, partnership, and the enduring friendship between the people of Sri Lanka and the United States. Since 1962, nearly six hundred Peace Corps Volunteers have served here, creating a living bridge between our nations. As English Volunteers, you will help open doors to education and opportunity. And by learning Sinhala or Tamil and participating in community life, you honor the people you will serve…You represent the United States not as officials, but as lower-case ‘a’ ambassadors of the American people. The kindness you show, the curiosity you bring, and the respect you offer will speak more loudly than any policy ever could. You embody the best of our country’s spirit — a belief that the world is stronger when we serve beside our friends.”
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who also serves as Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, welcomed the Volunteers, through a prepared statement that was delivered on her behalf by Nimali Baduraliya, and recognized their contribution to strengthening English language learning across Sri Lanka. “I extend my congratulations and gratitude to the new batch of 23 United States Peace Corps Volunteers who are being sworn in today and beginning their two year service in Sri Lanka to strengthen English language education in Sri Lanka, Your decision to dedicate your time and skills and compassion to our communities is deeply appreciated by the Government and the people of Sri Lanka.”
Peace Corps Sri Lanka Country Director Jeffrey Goveia emphasized the strength and continuity of the partnership with the Ministry. “Peace Corps’ partnership with the Ministry is the foundation that makes our work possible, and we are grateful for the Ministry’s long-standing collaboration. We are here at the Ministry’s invitation and aligned with its commitment to strengthen English language learning across Sri Lanka. The Pledge of Service reflects that shared purpose. Our Volunteers serve not as experts, but as partners—working shoulder-to-shoulder with teachers, students, and communities to support the Ministry’s goals and contribute to the country’s ongoing investment in education.”
As part of their 12-week pre-service training, the Volunteers studied Sinhala or Tamil to help them navigate daily life and settle into the communities where they will serve. Their training also included cross-cultural workshops, classroom preparation, and hands-on teaching practice at local schools near Vavuniya. Peace Corps Volunteers are also strengthening English education across Sri Lanka by leading school-break English camps and partnering with Regional English Support Centers to train teachers and develop new tools that will benefit classrooms for years to come.
Following the ceremony, the newly sworn-in Volunteers will travel to schools across the Northern and North Central Provinces, expanding Peace Corps’ geographic footprint and deepening its engagement with Sri Lankan communities. Over the next two years, they will co-teach English alongside Sri Lankan educators, participate in community life, and support locally led education initiatives.
Nearly 600 Americans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Sri Lanka. The new cohort will join those already serving in the Uva and Central Provinces, bringing the total number of Volunteers supporting English language education and people-to-people connections to 53 nationwide. Peace Corps departed Sri Lanka in 1998 and was invited to return in 2016, resuming operations in 2018 under a renewed partnership with the Ministry of Education.
After three one-sided, low-scoring encounters, the fourth T20I between India and Sri Lanka exploded into a run-fest in Thiruvananthapuram, with both sides posting their highest totals in women’s T20Is. India’s big score of 221 for 2 proved too much for Sri Lanka, who fell short by 30 runs, handing the hosts a 4-0 series lead with one match remaining. India missed two catching opportunities and a stumping chance, while Sri Lanka gave away three, but the batting dominance was decisive.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma set the tone with blistering half-centuries to power India’s innings, while Chamari Athapaththu kept Sri Lanka in the chase with a fighting 52. Despite a few late cameo efforts, the visitors couldn’t overcome India’s dominant batting display.
Shafali and Mandhana delivered a masterclass in aggressive opening batting, putting together 162 runs off just 92 balls – the highest opening partnership for India in women’s T20Is. Shafali continued her purple patch with a third successive T20I half-century, while Mandhana, who had managed only 40 runs in the first three matches, roared back to form. The innings also saw Mandhana climb to the top of the charts for most runs (1,703) in women’s internationals in a calendar year, underlining her dominance.
India’s openers were relentless from the outset, racing to 61 without loss in the powerplay with 12 boundaries. Shafali’s innings was built on control and placement – her first six came only after her fifty, a loft over long-off in the 11th over – and she finished with 12 fours and a six.
Mandhana, meanwhile, struck 11 fours and three sixes, though her innings briefly dipped in tempo. After racing to 24 off 14 balls, she moved to 28 off 24 during a short lull before accelerating sharply to reach her half-century off 35 deliveries. From there, she cut loose, using the feet to loft the spinners and driving straight with authority.
The contest decisively tilted in overs 11 to 13, when India tore into the attack. The 11th over went for 15 runs, followed by a 20-run 12th and an 18-run 13th, each featuring two fours and a six. Any hopes Sri Lanka had of restricting the damage vanished as India surged from 85 for no loss to 120 in just two overs.
India brought up 150 in only 14.2 overs, making light of the Sri Lanka captain’s assessment at the toss that 140 would be a competitive total.
Sri Lanka had to wait 92 balls for their first breakthrough and struck again in the following over, the 17th, but any momentum was swiftly snuffed out by Richa Ghosh. With Harleen Deol replacing Jemimah Rodrigues, who was recovering from a mild fever, India promoted Ghosh to No. 3 for the death overs – a move that paid rich dividends. Having faced just one delivery in the series before this match, Ghosh made an impact, blasting 40 off 16 balls and adding an unbroken 53-run stand with Harmanpreet Kaur.
Ghosh announced herself by heaving her second ball over Nimasha Meepage’s head for four. After a relatively quiet 17th over, she found her range against the same bowler, striking two more boundaries. The onslaught peaked against Kavisha Dilhari, one of Sri Lanka’s more experienced bowlers, as Ghosh went into overdrive. She smoked three sixes and a four to plunder 23 runs from the 19th over, punishing anything in her hitting arc and underlining India’s ruthless finish.
Sri Lanka began their chase aggressively, with Hasini Perera taking charge. She tore into Renuka Singh’s first over, hitting three boundaries, while Arundhati Reddy, making a comeback in place of the rested Kranti Gaud, conceded 17 off the second over. By the end of four, Sri Lanka had raced to 52 for 0, with the opening stand between Perera and Athapaththu putting on 59 runs off 34 balls.
Athapaththu struck the chase’s first six, charging down the track and clearing long-off off Deepti Sharma in the third over. Both left-handers punished anything too full or short, though Perera fell in the sixth over, holing out to Harmanpreet at mid-off off Reddy’s offcutter.
Athapaththu kept the momentum going, adding 57 runs off 46 balls with Imesha Dulani for the second wicket. Athapaththu moved from 20 off 15 balls to fifty in the next 19 deliveries, hitting three sixes and as many fours. However, her innings ended when she mistimed a charge over the off side, gifting a catch to Mandhana at long-off off Vaishnavi Sharma. At that stage, Sri Lanka needed 106 runs from 42 balls. Despite a few late cameos, the chase fell short.
On a night dominated by big scores, Vaishnavi emerged as the standout bowler, picking up two crucial wickets for just 24 runs. Introduced into the attack after the powerplay, she began by floating the ball outside off stump to entice the batters before gradually attacking the stumps and testing the left-handers with clever variations.
After dismissing Athapaththu in the 13th over, she also removed Harshitha Samarawickrama for a 13-ball 20 in the 17th, when the batter looked threatening. Her disciplined lines and sharp changes of pace helped India keep Sri Lanka’s scoring in check.
Brief scores:
India Women 221 for 2 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 80, Shafali Verma 79, Richa Ghosh 40*, Harmanpreet Kaur16*; Malsha Shehani 1-32, Nimasha Meepage 1-40) beat Sri Lanka Women 191 for 6 in 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 52, Hasini Perera 33, Imesha Dulani 29, Harshitha Samarawickrama 20, Kavisha Dilhari 13, Nilakshika de Silva 23*; Arundhati Reddy 2-42, Vaishnavi Sharma 2-24, Shree Charani 1-46) by 30 runs
(Cricinfo)
A private function will be held on Monday, December 29 at Melbourne’s Spicy Wicket Restaurant to celebrate Asanka Gurusinha’s iconic Boxing Day century at the MCG, the first and still the only hundred by a Sri Lankan at the grand old ground that staged the game’s inaugural Test and has long been cricket’s festive showpiece in Australia.
Sri Lanka featured in the 1995 Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a match remembered as much for controversy as for courage. Umpire Darrel Hair repeatedly no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in front of a stunned crowd of 55,000, turning the contest into a cauldron.
It was a one-sided affair dominated by Mark Taylor’s Australians. Forced to follow on, Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel before Gurusinha dug in to produce a back-to-the-wall 143. It was the left-hander’s career-best Test score and more importantly helped Sri Lanka avoid the ignominy of an innings defeat.
“Any Test hundred is a moment to remember, but to do it against Australia, facing McDermott, McGrath, Warne and Reifel at the MCG is very special,” Gurusinha told Telecom Asia Sport. “It didn’t sink in 30 years ago, but I know now why it’s special. I always enjoyed batting on pitches with bounce and seam and Australia was a place I loved playing.”
“Coming up against the best team in the world at the time and that formidable bowling attack is something that will stay with me forever,” he added.
Gurusinha also paid tribute to those behind the celebration. “I want to thank my good friends David and Cathy Cruse for organising this event. All my family will be there and it’s great to have Aravinda de Silva as chief guest. I played against him at school level for eight years and then alongside him for 12 years for Sri Lanka. He’s a dear friend.”
Gurusinha made his Test debut in 1985, straight out of school as a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter. His sound technique soon demanded promotion and he settled into the No. 3 slot, becoming the side’s human sandbag, valuing his wicket, batting time and wearing down attacks during marathon vigils that tested bowlers’ patience as much as their stamina.
A key member of Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning squad in 1996, Gurusinha willingly shelved his natural strokeplay to play the anchor’s role, allowing the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva to cut loose. He struck a vital half-century in the final against Australia, earning praise from captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who famously labelled him the unsung hero of Sri Lanka’s World Cup triumph.
Gurusinha retired prematurely at the age of 30 soon after that World Cup success, migrated to Australia and has since made Melbourne his adopted home, fitting, perhaps, that the city where he played his finest innings will now raise a glass to a knock that has aged like fine wine.
Royal scored a first innings win over Gurukula after they restricted the team from Kelniya to 215 runs in reply to their 302 in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ match at Reid Avenue on Sunday.
For the home team open bat Hirun Liyanarachchi scored back to back half centuries. He remained unbeaten on 56 in the second innings.
For the visitors Ohas Sadew picked up six wickets.
Scores
Royal 302 for 9 decl. in 80 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 50, Dushen Udawela 25, Ramiru Perera 60, Yasindu Dissanayake 41, Thevindu Wewalwala 36, Manuth Disanayake 42, Udantha Gangewatta
22n.o.; Ohas Sadew 6/101) and 130 for 2 in 39 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 56n.o., Rehan Peiris 59)
Gurukula
215 all out in 75.2 overs (Sahas Induwara 35, Denura Dimansith 79, Janith Mihiranga 44; Himaru Deshan 2/65, Ramiru Perera 2/58) (RF)
Navy seizes an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters
Mandhana, Shafali and Ghosh help India edge run-fest to go 4-0 up
Showers predicted in several provinces today (29th December)
Delay in govt. response to UK sanctions on ex-military chiefs, and others causes concern
Sri Lanka outlines seven key vectors of international cooperation at Moscow forum
Sri Lanka third most preferred destination for Indians
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News7 days agoMembers of Lankan Community in Washington D.C. donates to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Flood Relief Fund
-
News5 days agoBritish MP calls on Foreign Secretary to expand sanction package against ‘Sri Lankan war criminals’
-
Features7 days agoGeneral education reforms: What about language and ethnicity?
-
News7 days agoSuspension of Indian drug part of cover-up by NMRA: Academy of Health Professionals
-
Sports5 days agoChief selector’s remarks disappointing says Mickey Arthur
-
News4 days agoStreet vendors banned from Kandy City
-
Editorial7 days agoA very sad day for the rule of law
-
News7 days agoUS Ambassador to Sri Lanka among 29 career diplomats recalled