Botham tours former war zone; oversees plans to build sports complex

COLOMBO (AFP) - Former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham on Sunday visited Sri Lanka’s former war zone to oversee plans to build a sports complex.

Botham flew to the project site at Mankulam, 300 kilometres (187 miles) north of Colombo, organisers said in a statement.

“I am hugely impressed by the plans for a new sports complex site which will regenerate communities and encourage reconciliation,” the statement quoted Botham as saying.

The project is led by Sri Lanka’s world record bowler Muttiah Muralitharan’s charity, the Foundation of Goodness, to help thousands of children in the former war zone.

“We have ambitious plans for the sports centre near Mankulam, and I am confident that when the plans are realised we will have built one of the finest facilities in the region,” said Muralitharan.

London-based Laureus Sports which organised the visit said Botham also visited a school in Mankulam and handed out food and cooking utensils and stoves.

Botham, who was joined on the tour by former Ashes-winning England cricket captain, Michael Vaughan, was due to take part in a friendly match later in the day with local children.

Botham visited Sri Lanka days after the December 2004 Asian tsunami to drum up aid to help people affected by the disaster. Some 31,000 people were killed in the worst natural disaster to hit the island.

He began supporting the Foundation of Goodness in 2005 and returned in 2009 to oversee work in Seenigama. Muralitharan’s charity is also supported by Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara and former international teammate Chaminda Vaas.