As part of Sri Lanka’s 70th anniversary of Independence celebrations, the Canada-Sri Lanka Friendship Cricket Cup (CSLFCC), jointly organized by the Sri Lanka Consulate General in Toronto and the Ontario Cricket Development Organisation (OCDO), was launched on August 11 2018 at the Courtney Park Sports Complex in Mississauga.
The annual event will bring together cricket loving communities from Sri Lanka and other countries. The agreement to hold this annual event was arrived at a meeting held at the Mississauga Civic Centre, on May 1, 2018, attended by Mayor of Mississauga, Bonnie Crombie, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Toronto, U. L. Mohammed Jauhar, and Messrs. Derek Perera and Ranil Mendis.
Welcoming the initiative of the Consulate General and the OCDO, the Mississauga Mayor said, “Our residents love cricket! Mississauga proudly operates seven cricket pitches across the City, and the popularity of the sport only continues to grow among our residents. We are pleased to support the Consulate General of Sri Lanka and the OCDO as they showcase cricket in Mississauga through the celebration of Sri Lanka’s 70th Anniversary of Independence”
Mayantha Dissanayake, Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka who was present at the launching, commended the initiative. He welcomed using sports to bring about reconciliation.
Consul General Mohammed Jauhar extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to Mayor Crombie and the OCDO for their gracious support to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 70th anniversary of Independence in Mississauga. He highlighted the inclusive role of sporting events especially cricket, and added that it transcends ethnic, religious, linguistic and other ideological differences.
He referred to the Commonwealth’s peace-building initiative ‘Peace at the Crease’ and informed that Sri Lanka had been invited to give leadership to this project in the region, particularly in harnessing youth engagement in the development process through sports.
At the opening of the exhibition match, the Mississauga Mayor led the Mississauga World Xl cricket team against Sri Lanka Consul General’s Xl, which comprised Consular Corps representatives in Toronto.
Kaleed Rasheed and Deepak Anand, Members of Ontario Provincial Parliament, representing the Premier of Ontario were among the those present.