 Best schoolboy team 2020 (all island) Trinity College Kandy receive their trophy presented by guest of honour, Minister of Information and Media Keheliya Rambukwella in the presence of ANCL Chairman W. Dayaratne PC (Pix: Sudath Malaweera) |
Former Sri Lanka cricket captain and 1996 World Cup champion Sanath Jayasuriya called on the next generation of budding players to be committed in what they do while adhering to discipline and the rules of fair-play if they are to succeed.
He made the remarks when he addressed winners of the 42nd Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricket Awards held at the BMICH in Colombo last Tuesday as the chief guest.
“I myself won this award and I knew how important this was to me at that time when we did not even have the basic facilities. It is very different today where you have all the facilities and opportunities to realize your dreams of playing for Sri Lanka.
“So be committed make the most of what you have and pay attention to discipline. Without discipline you will not go far as a cricketer or sportsman,” said Jayasuriya.
Recalling his school days Jayasuriya said he was only nine years old playing in the Under-11 team at St. Servatius College at Matara and nothing stood in the way to discourage him despite the absence of facilities unlike in the present era.
“It is not going to be easy for anyone to be part of the Sri Lanka team. It will be a long and hard road ahead. When you leave school you will want to play for a club and that will be the next step and it will mean that you have competed in all the age groups at school and this is the best that your school can do for you.
“When I played for school it was not easy to enter the Sri Lanka team. But today I think it is different where you have more opportunities to be part of the Sri Lanka team which is not doing too well these days.
“Sri Lanka looks forward to players like you who will some day in the near future make the grade. In the past like until about 15 years ago we had schoolboy players who wore the Sri Lanka cap straight from school and I think some of you could be next. It is my only hope and wish to see players coming from all over the country able to make it to the Sri Lanka team,” said Jayasuriya
 Best schoolgirl team of the Year 2020 Devapathiraja College, Ratgama receive their trophy from the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom Rohan Fernando in the presence of Sunday Observer Editor in Chief Dinesh Weerawansa and guest of honour Minister of Information and Media Keheliya Rambukwella |