Wants to cover up for lapses at Sri Lanka Basketball, build indoor stadiums and organise an international championship to herald new phase of development:
Masters Basketball Sri Lanka (MBSL) president Gayath Jayasinghe has ambitious plans to lift the profile of the sport in the country by staging an international tournament in June and also accomplish his dream of building an indoor stadium for the national team.
Jayasinghe unveiled his plans to promote the game after being re-elected as president of the MBSL at their annual general meeting held at the BRC. Basil Silva and Clifford Surendran were appointed as secretary and treasurer respectively of the MBSL formed some two decades ago.
“My aim is to build an international level basketball stadium. That’s my target. It has been my dream from a young age. I will achieve it and I have the sponsors,” said Jayasinghe while lamenting the fact that the Sri Lanka team does not have a court of their own to practice.
When he took over the MBSL three years ago, he had visions of building an indoor stadium in the heart of Colombo to cater to multiple sports like basketball, boxing, netball, throwball and tug-o-war. It is taking shape with three locations having been earmarked. Most importantly he has also secured sponsors for the project which is estimated at $1.5 million.
The indoor stadiums complete with dormitories for players and an auditorium is to be built in Kollupitiya, Nugegoda and Pannipitiya, a location close to the Expressway so players from Kandy and the South can have easy access there. “We are awaiting government approval to lease the land in Colombo for us. We hope to submit a proposal soon to the relevant authorities,” said Jayasinghe, CEO of Gaja Holding, a Sri Lankan-based multinational conglomerate with Hong Kong and Malaysia.
“We have got sponsorship to promote sports. Even for Sri Lanka basketball we don’t have our own court but I have got a good sponsor to build up our own Masters basketball court,” said the 45-year-old entrepreneur who will venture into sports tourism by staging a 3x3 International Streetball Basketball Championship for the first time in Sri Lanka.
“The main reason to have this tournament is to bring foreign reserves to the country in keeping with the Sports Minister’s vision to promote sports tourism,” said Jayasinghe who studied at St Joseph’s and St Peter’s before pursuing his higher education in business management in Singapore and Australia.
About 200 players from the USA, Australia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Maldives and Bangladesh in addition to about 500 from Sri Lanka are expected to participate in this tournament to be held in Kandy and Colombo. It will be conducted in two categories - Masters (over 30 to 55) and Elite (21 and 23).
“Another main reason why I am bringing foreign players to the country is to make sure that our Sri Lanka players get more international exposure. When you travel abroad, only a few players will be going. More Sri Lankans will get the opportunity to play at the highest level,” he said.
Matches will be played at the Pallekelle Stadium and Bogambara Stadium in Kandy where the first leg of the competition will be held before teams qualify to play in Colombo at Galle Face and the Racecourse.
At a time when the governing body for basketball SLBF (Sri Lanka Basketball Federation) is like a rudderless ship, Gayath Jayasinghe is seen as giving dynamic leadership to the sport as head of MBSL.
“We look forward to Sri Lankan basketball going to a different level than what it is now. It’s not just conducting tournaments, we have to develop skills of players, infrastructure, nutrition, playing equipment, etc. Sri Lanka basketball is still at a very basic level. I hope somebody with a good vision will take over Sri Lanka basketball very soon,” said Jayasinghe ruling himself out of the equation.
“We don’t have a good team at the moment. If the team is there, automatically there will be good leadership. I hope the Minister will appoint a good team who will support the leadership,” he said.
“I have only one request. It is always good if someone who has played the game of basketball at the highest level be president of that sport or any sport for that matter. Only then will he have the pulse of the sport. Then only they will have a clear vision of players’ needs and the areas to develop in the respective sport. If that person is financially strong or with good family background, then they will not misuse the position to make money for themselves,” said Jayasinghe, a former national player who represented the Sri Lanka Youth team at the age of 16.