Three cheers for an Awards formula | Sunday Observer

Three cheers for an Awards formula

13 December, 2020
Last year’s winners Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer Kamil Mishara of Royal College and Schoolgirl Cricketer of the Year Umesha Thimeshani of Devapathiraja MV
Last year’s winners Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer Kamil Mishara of Royal College and Schoolgirl Cricketer of the Year Umesha Thimeshani of Devapathiraja MV

Every effort would be made to host the Observer-Mobitel School Cricketer of the Year 2020 grand finale before the end of next month.

The long-overdue Mega Show has been held up due to the Covid-19 pandemic which not only disrupted this year’s inter-school matches but the entire lifestyle of all nations across the globe.

The modern scientific knowledge was trying a breakthrough with anti-corona virus injections and after nine months of struggle, several countries have found a solution to Covid-19 that should ease in the months to come. Already, the UK is going ahead with its vaccine process.

There have been a couple early problems but the British experts have said the public should not be unduly concerned by the decision of UK regulators to advise people with a history of significant allergic reactions not to have the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine.

Virologist Dr. Chris Smith has told the BBC Breakfast Show that all medicines have side effects and that the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency had been quick to issue its advice. But it has been a very small number of people showing bad reactions. Most people will have some sort of side-effects after a vaccine such as pain at the site of the injection or a little fever - but this can be managed.

BBC said that two NHS workers had allergic reactions shortly after having the new jab, but both are fine now after treatment. They have a history of serious allergies and carry adrenaline pens around with them.

Hence, the overall reaction is good with the US also likely give the final green light. If that happens, it will be a greater relief before Christmas and a major breakthrough could be achieved by the New Year.

That sounds welcome news for Sri Lankans as well. If that happens, it would not only ease the situation here but would also give fresh hopes for local sports too. If things move fast, we should be able to see the local authorities giving the nod to host the Observer-Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year show before the end of next month.

The 42nd Obsever-Mobitel School Cricketer of the Year 2020 is organized by Sri Lanka’s flagship English newspaper Sunday Observer and sponsored by the country’s national mobile service provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel.

Sri Lanka’s widely read English newspaper - the Sunday Observer, understood the need to recognize the raw talent of the country’s schoolboy cricketers at a time when there had been no organized inter-school cricket tournaments, apart from the traditional First XI matches of the so-called leading schools.

Sri Lanka’s national mobile service provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel continues to provide that ‘smart connection’ to the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest.

Under the directions of the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Telecom and SLT Mobitel Rohan Fernando, the SLT Mobitel has made a lavish contribution towards the success of the event during the past 12 years.

Thanks to the longstanding association of the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), the Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), headed by Shammy Silva, the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest has gone from strength to strength.

The local inter-school cricket structure is considered one of the best, if not the best and well-organised one in the world. Over the years, it has been the feeder pool to the national team. Many school cricket officials and youth coaches world over have hailed Sri Lanka’s well-knit school cricket structure which has five different age groups under three divisions for each age group.

Despite the island-wide participation, there has not been an organized inter-school cricket tournament for Under-19 until the 90s. All what they had until then were friendly matches, some over a century.

There was hardly any recognition for the milestone achievements of schoolboy cricketers. Lack of an organized inter-school tournament deprived young schoolboys of their due recognition. Even the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) first had only a limited-over knock out tournament at Under-19 level, on completion of the first XI matches and traditional big matches.

Sri Lanka’s No. 1 English newspaper - the Sunday Observer, and its publisher Lake House understood the need to recognize the talents of the country’s schoolboy cricketers and inspire them to continue their careers at club level. It is with those great goals in mind that the Sunday Observer commenced the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest way back in 1978/79.

That proved to be a resounding success and the event ultimately turned out to be the most looked forward to event in the school cricket calendar.

Ever since the then Royal captain Ranjan Madugalle was adjudged the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award in 1979, Sri Lanka’s first ever inter-school cricket awards show has produced many legendary cricketers who have played for Sri Lanka with distinction.

Playing its true corporate social responsibility role as the country’s premier English newspaper - the Sunday Observer gave birth to the country’s first-ever Schools Cricket Awards ceremony four decades ago at the Navarangahala in Colombo 7 in 1979.

It was a fitting tribute to Madugalle who led the Reid Avenue boys in the centenary Battle of the Blues cricket encounter against S. Thomas’ in the same year. Crowning Madugalle as the first-ever Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year was a memorable and a great beginning not only to the prestigious contest but also for the first-ever recipient of the title who later went on to play for Sri Lanka and now the Chief Match Referee of the International Cricket Council.

Over the past four decades of its cherished history, the Mega Show has produced some of the legendary cricketers that Sri Lanka has ever produced, including the country’s 1996 World Cup-winning captain turned minister Arjuna Ranatunga, world’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket Muttiah Muralitharan and the most valuable player of the 1996 World Cup tournament in which Sri Lanka emerged champions, Sanath Jayasuriya.

Besides these four recipients, the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest has baptized some of the most outstanding players to the big league - 1996 World Cup star Asanka Gurusinha, former captains Roshan Mahanama and Marvan Atapattu to name a few.

Winning the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title has been the dream of every schoolboy cricketer as they generally believe that the prestigious title would take them closer to wear the Sri Lanka ‘cap’. Most past winners of the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the tile had made their Sri Lanka debut in next to no time, some of them just months after winning the ‘Crown’.

Three recent Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year main award winners are in the current Sri Lanka team - Dinesh Chandimal (2009), Niroshan Dickwella (2012) and Kusal Mendis (2013). The trio stepped into the Sri Lanka team just months after their crowning glory to become vital ingredients of the national team.

Sri Lanka Test captain Chandimal is the most experienced of the three, winning the prestigious Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title in 2009 when he was representing Ananda College, Colombo. Former Trinity skipper, Dickwella won the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title in 2012. Kusal Mendis, who led Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa with distinction, was adjudged Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 2013.

Former Ananda captain Arjuna Ranatunga too had won the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title twice prior to Mahanama, but Ranatunga had not won the crown in successive years.

Ranatunga first won the coveted title in 1980 after Ranjan Madugalle but failed to repeat the following year, finishing runner up to Rohan Buultjens of St. Peter’s. However, in his final inter-school first XI season for Ananda, Ranatunga was crowned Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year once again in 1982.

After Ranatunga and Mahanama, the select band of schoolboy cricketers to win the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title twice each were Thilan Samaraweera (1994 and 1995), Lahiru Peiris (2004 and 2005), Bhanuka Rajapakse (2010 and 2011) and Charith Asalanka (2015 and 2016).

It is no easy task to find the huge finances that are needed to host a show of this magnitude. Although the cost to host the show in the first couple of decades was marginally less, it was a commendable contribution by Haliborange which sponsored the inaugural show and the Bata Shoe Company which followed.

However, the sponsorship that took the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer towards new horizons was that of the Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel - the sponsor who added value to the Mega Show, improving the standard of the event to solid trophies and larger cash awards.

The Observer-Mobitel partnership which celebrates its 13th successive year, not only recognizes the achievements of school cricketers but also to reward their coaches and masters-in-charge, who perform a silent role in moulding the next generation of champion cricketers.

SLT Mobitel, the national mobile service provider, continues to provide that ‘smart connection’ to the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest.

Under the directions of the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Telecom and SLT Mobitel Rohan Fernando, SLT Mobitel have made a great contribution towards the success of the event during the past decade and more.

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