Cricket season: UKAFCA to visit Foundation of Goodness during Sri Lanka tour

The UK Armed Forces Cricket Association (UKAFCA) has arrived this week, as part of their tour of India and Sri Lanka. The team will tour Colombo, Dombagoda, Seenigama and Welisara, playing a series of friendly matches against teams in Sri Lanka. A British High Commission spokesperson said “Cricket embodies so many great things about people to people links between the UK and Sri Lanka. The values of cricket such as fair play, teamwork, commitment and responsibility are universal and apply to so many aspects of life. We are really looking forward to the tour.”

During their time in Sri Lanka, the team will visit ‘The Foundation of Goodness’ project headquarters and flagship venue, and the ‘MCC Centre of Excellence and Sports Academy’ in Seenigama. The Foundation of Goodness works towards empowering rural underserved communities. The team will get involved with environmental projects, and provide coaching for some of the boys and girls supported by the Foundation. The Foundation of Goodness was established in 1999 and has worked extensively to rebuild the village of Seenigama and its surroundings, in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami which devastated the lives of thousands of Sri Lankans. 

Today their empowerment programmes have expanded to reach over 31,000 beneficiaries from 400 villages across the country annually. In partnership with Sri Lankan cricketing, legends; Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardena, Russel Arnold and current MCC President Kumar Sangakkara, the foundation’s development activities have now been extended to the North, East, North Central and Central provinces of Sri Lanka. 

The development programs include education, vocational training, women’s empowerment, village infrastructure, water and sanitation, and reconciliation through sports. The UKAFCA is the governing body for cricket within the UK’s Armed Forces. Its main aim is to provide the Armed Forces’ cricketers, both men and women, with the opportunity to achieve success at the highest level of the domestic game and to stretch their individual and collective ability.  

Follow the British High Commission on social media for more information: @ukinsrilanka