Business
The Saints to Go Marching this 28th and 29th April at the SSC
89th Battle of Saints powered by Dialog
One of the most competitive big matches played in Sri Lanka, the 89th edition of the ‘Battle of the Saints’, powered by Dialog Axiata PLC, played between premier Catholic boys’ schools, St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and St. Peter’s College, Colombo for the Rev. Father Maurice J. Le Goc Trophy, will be battled in its full glory at the SSC on the 28th and 29th April 2023.
Due to the unprecedented times in the last two years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic the matches were played behind closed doors for the safety of players, however with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions the Joint Match Organising Committee of the ‘Battle of the Saints” under the guidance of the Rector/Principal of the two respective schools have decided to play the 89th edition in full attendance of students, old boys and well wishers.
Dialog Axiata PLC has made arrangements to broadcast the matches live on Dialog Television channel number 70, and via live stream on Thepapare.com and the Dialog ViU app.
The ‘Battle of the Saints’, which is renowned for its exciting and competitive brand of cricket is the only annual two-day cricket encounter that strategically limits the first innings to 60 overs each to create greater interest and result orientation. In the 2023 encounter the lads from Darley Road will be led by wicket keeper batsman and Sri Lanka U19 player Sadeesh Jayawardena, while the boys from Bambalapitiya will be under the captaincy of batting allrounder, Nimuthu Gunawardana.
“The Joe-Pete is one of the most anticipated annual encounters in Sri Lanka’s schools’ cricket calendar and I’m pleased that 89th edition of our beloved encounter will be played in its past glory,” Rev. Fr. Rohitha Rodrigo, the Rector of the hosting school, St. Peter’s College, Colombo, said. “I take this opportunity to thank our long-term partner Dialog Axiata for being with us during good and challenging times.”
Rev. Fr. Ranjith Andradi, Rector of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, said, The Battle of the Saints between St. Peter’s and St. Joseph’s has a long and rich history of tradition as two of the leading Catholic schools in Sri Lanka.”
I am sure both teams will play exciting cricket to bring excitement for both young and old Peterites and Josephians. I wish both the schools and their respective captains the very best to deliver two days of exhilarating cricket.
St. Joseph’s College leads the series tally with 12 wins, their last win coming under the captaincy of Ruwantha Fernandopulle in 2008, while St. Peter’s College were the winners of the 2016 encounter under Vinu Mohotty, bringing their tally to 10 wins, which ensured the Rev. Father Maurice J. Legoc Trophy was kept securely in the trophy cabinet at Bambalapitiya.
The highly anticipated Josephian-Peterite limited overs match played for the ‘Fr. Peter A. Pillai Memorial Trophy’ which was the first one day encounter among schools commencing in 1975, has always attracted the highest number of spectators for a school’s 50 over cricket match is scheduled to be played on the 30th of April 2023 at the SSC Grounds, Colombo. The Josephian’s lead the one-day encounter 24-21 with 2 matches ending with no result and one game with a tie . In last year’s encounter the boys from Bambalapitiya edged out the Josephians in a closely contested game.
The two schools have produced many National Caps. Current Sri Lanka test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Chaminda Vaas, Dunith Wellage, Thisara Perera, Ashley De Silva,
Michael Van Dort, Roshen Silva, Priyamal Perera and Sadeera Samarawickrama are the J sephians who represented Sri Lanka while the Peterites are Roy Dias, Rumesh Ratnayake, Vinodhan John, Amal Silva, Russel Arnold, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Malinda Warnapura, Angelo Perera and Janith Liyanage.
This year Janatha Steel has strengthen the JoePete as the Platinum Sponsor for 2023 edition. JoePete 2023 edition has also attracted many other sponsors Keells Krest, Elephant house, CBL, Maggie, Daraz, HNB, Uber and Singer Sri Lanka for its vibrant brand of schools cricket. currently Josephinas are the Under 19 Inter School Division One Tier A 2 Day Joint Champions.
Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of the Sri Lanka National Volleyball, Netball and Esports teams. The Company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Schools Rugby, Premier Football and Paralympic sports by powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lankan contingent to the World Paralympic Games.
Ceylinco Life has been declared the ‘Best Life Insurance Company in Sri Lanka’ in 2024 by World Finance, an accolade that company has won for the 11th consecutive year.
The only life insurance company in Sri Lanka to consistently win this prestigious award, Ceylinco Life is in the company of other 2024 country winners of the calibre of MassMutual (USA), Canada Life (Canada), TAL (Australia), Swiss Life (Switzerland), CNP Assurances (France), China Life Insurance Group (China), Nippon Life Insurance (Japan), Max Life Insurance (India), and National Life Insurance (Bangladesh).
Commenting on its Insurance Awards, World Finance noted that navigating the complex changes across the globe to balance risk and affordability is a key issue for the winners of the World Finance Insurance awards. “This year, we recognise the trailblazers driving the insurance industry forward, showcasing the dedication and creativity that define the profession,” the magazine said.
The World Finance award recognises Ceylinco Life as an organisation that is committed to continuously improving its overall processes, efficiency and relationships to serve customers better.
Winners are chosen after a stringent assessment of multiple aspects of operational performance including underwriting processes and process efficiency; policy maintenance – the process of reviewing clients’ policies, appropriateness of coverage and cost per policy; exposure to risk; customer retention rate; time taken to settle claims; new customer acquisition rate and financial stability – Premium Income, Market share, Life Fund and company profits.
The World Finance Awards judging panel represents the expertise of over 230 years of financial and business journalism, supported by a research team that works round the clock to ensure the award winners are the most deserving in their sector. Additionally, reader insight and experience are relied upon to provide nominations. The judging panel is required to avoid bias towards criteria such as depth of practice and size of the company, in order to get an insight into different geographies and niche areas.
World Finance is a print and online magazine providing comprehensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business and the global economy. The magazine targets an audience of finance professionals and corporate and private investors, but its lucid voice makes it intelligible and essential reading for anybody who wants to understand the machinations of finance in the 21st century. Established in 2007, World Finance’s awards programmes are tailored to provide a comprehensive analysis of the very best in each market.
Adjudged Sri Lanka’s Brand of the Year in 2022 and 2023, Ceylinco Life was also named one of the 10 Most Admired Companies in Sri Lanka in 2023 by the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ICCSL) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and was ranked the ‘Most Valuable Insurance Brand in Sri Lanka’ across both life and general insurance categories in 2023 by Brand Finance.
Ceylinco Life has been the country’s leading life insurer for 20 of the 37 years it has been in existence and provides innovative life insurance solutions which offer protection while de-risking the goals and ambitions of the Company’s policyholders.
Text and pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA
Araliya Packing Lanka (Pvt) Limited, a subsidiary of the Araliya Group of Companies, recently commissioned its upgraded laboratory facility at its factory in Polonnaruwa. The state-of-the-art facility marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality, eco-friendly packaging solutions.
Established in 2021, Araliya Packing was initially created to provide affordable and comprehensive packaging solutions for the group’s flagship product, Araliya Rice. Staying true to its vision of “delivering eco-friendly packaging technology developed with a unique Sri Lankan identity to the world,” the company has since expanded its services to cater to other market leaders in the industry.
The newly upgraded laboratory is equipped with the latest testing equipment, ensuring the superior quality of its packaging solutions, which include a range of innovative non-woven bags. This investment underscores Araliya Packing’s dedication to maintaining high standards and meeting the evolving demands of its clients.
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon is joining hands with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and government partners to improve preschool education in Sri Lanka.The Bank will support the improvement of a pre-school in the Moneragala District in the Uva Province, as a contribution to UNICEF’s work to support government partners to improve preschool education. The partnership will contribute to the Province’s efforts to provide safer, more equitable, quality preschool learning environments.
The programme will include updating and refurbishing the entire school and equipping it with quality furniture and teaching-learning items.
Since 2022, UNICEF with funding from its partners has supported the Provincial Offices of Uva and Central to improve the learning environments of 40 preschools in remote areas.
This private-public partnership represents a new model for bringing partners together to strengthen early childhood education and foster the development of young learners by reaching the most marginalized with quality preschool education.
Education is one of the principal focal points of Commercial Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments. Within this, the Bank’s largest contribution is towards digital technology education in Sri Lanka. The Bank has donated 362 IT labs to schools across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka and has also supported a project to set up 176 classrooms that focus on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects. Additionally, the Bank was a key partner in the national Smart Schools initiative where 165 schools were equipped with digital learning facilities. The Bank’s “Sipnena” online portal contains digitized school curriculum content, complete with practical videos and presentations to facilitate easy learning for students.
Commercial Bank is the first Sri Lankan bank to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World and has the highest market capitalization in the Banking Sector in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). The Bank is the largest lender to Sri Lanka’s SME sector, is a leader in digital innovation and is Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon neutral bank. Commercial Bank operates a strategically located network of branches and automated machines island-wide, and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with 20 outlets in Bangladesh, a Microfinance company in Myanmar, and a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake in the Maldives. The Bank’s fully owned subsidiary CBC Finance Ltd. also delivers a wide range of financial services via its own branch network.
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything it does. Together with partners, UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF Sri Lanka, visit www.unicef.lk.
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