Northern youth to revive our cricketing glory

Cricket has always been one of the magical golden threads, created in positivity and passion, that binds our country together. We have all witnessed time and time again how cricket tore barriers down to bring almost every man, woman and child on to the streets, cheering, dancing and pulsating to a uniquely Sri Lankan rhythm that unites them behind one flag, one team. We are at a moment in time where the entire nation eagerly looks forward to bask in that glory yet again.

Everyone agrees that in order to rekindle our cricketing spirit, we as a nation must keep unearthing new talent and provide them opportunities to sharpen their skills, in order to create future cricket legends who can place us on the world map. 

Tokyo Cement was among the few who led on this mission to discover cricketing talent from among our youth in every corner of the country. The company, together with the Foundation of Goodness, organises monthly cricket coaching camps, where youngsters are given the chance to show off their raw talent and get polished up under the guidance to top class coaches and cricket experts.

The program was initiated in the south, with the setting up of required infrastructure for coaching and practices in Seenigama and Hikkaduwa. The objective was to impact the lives of rural cricketers from remote backgrounds, by enabling them to pursue their talents and achieve the aspirations of a bright future and a successful sporting career. 

Marking another key milestone on this journey, Tokyo Cement Group and the Foundation of Goodness recently extended the monthly cricket coaching camps to the north and east. The inaugural camp, held at the Jaffna Central College on 26 August, was conducted by renowned cricket coach Hemantha Devapriya and his team of experts, with the participation of 35 students between the age groups of 13 to 19. The showcase of talent by the participants surpassed all expectations of the seasoned coaches who conducted the training session, lighting up hopes of seeing another Sri Lankan cricketing spring in the near future.

Tokyo Cement intends to expand the reach of these northern cricket coaching camps from Jaffna to other key central areas; Kilinochchi, Oddusudan, Mankulam, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya, in search of future cricketing sensations. The program, headed by Anura De Silva, Sports Director of the Foundation of Goodness, plans to take 50 northern youth under its wings and train them to become sparkling cricket stars who will shine their light on the game and the nation.Kushil Gunasekera, Founder/Chief Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness, expressing his views on the plans to extend the program to the north, said: “Our country is blessed with amazing talent and skill in the rural sector which we continue to harness for the greater development of our nation.”

Tokyo Cement has always been an avid supporter of Sri Lankan Cricket and has taken the frontline to uplift the game. The coaching camps, conducted by the Foundation of Goodness with the sponsorship of Tokyo Cement, have so far trained over 600 schoolboy cricketers from the South, producing a number of National Players who represent the National Under-19 Team as well as an International Test Player. 

Tokyo Cement also extended its support to cricketing legend Muttiah Muralitharan’s initiative, with the patronage of Sri Lanka Cricket, to construct 30 concrete cricket pitches for schools in the north and east. In a bid to harmonise these efforts and build bridges between the North and the South founded solidly on sportsmanship, the company has also associated consecutively with the Murali Harmony Cup, which hosts nearly 400 budding cricketers from 24 schools from all parts of the country, giving them exposure in a T20 style cricket tournament.

Tokyo Cement is a firm believer in the ability of the game of cricket to build bridges across geographic, ethnic and language barriers, personifying the game’s true spirit. By providing youth from every part of the country an opportunity to unite through the game of cricket, the company is laying the foundation of brotherhood, understanding and respect which contributes towards building the nation, which remains Tokyo Cement’s primary commitment as the true leader in the industry.