Munchee Unity Sports Festival in Badulla promotes national unity and harmony

Munchee, the flagship brand of Ceylon Biscuits Limited recently supported the ‘Munchee Samaga Sahadarathwaye Kreeda Ulela’ (Unity Sports Festival) in Badulla. The event was launched to foster unity, harmony and respect amongst children and local community members of all backgrounds, throughout the district. 

The festival was hosted by Dilan Perera Foundation at Hali Ela and was attended by a total of 3,000 members of the local community. The event lasted over five days and was facilitated by a dynamic network of local schools and volunteers, who came together to ensure its success. 

The Unity Sports Festival was a part of the country’s ongoing efforts to bring all communities and ethnic groups in the area together through the use of sports. The event featured an inter-school sports meet, several athletics, cricket and soccer matches and games as well as a series of workshops that promoted children and members of the local community, to work together with a renewed sense of camaraderie. 

From left: CBL Group General Manager Marketing Theja Pieris, Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan, Uva Province Chief Minister Chamara Sampath, State Minister of National Integration and Reconciliation A.H.M. Fowzie and State Minister of Highways and Dilan Perera Foundation Chairman Dilan Perera award the winner of the tournament

All participants were divided into four houses, named after the great rivers of Sri Lanka; Kelani, Mahaweli, Walawe and Nilwale and they all had to work closely with one another and strengthen their overall communication skills and ability to play as a team.

Commenting on the event, Dilan Perera, State Minister of Highways and Chairman of the Dilan Perera Foundation, stated: “I am extremely pleased that Munchee, an iconic Sri Lankan brand, has once again stepped forward to support a national cause of significant importance. The ‘Munchee Samaga Sahadarathwaye Kreeda Ulela’ is dedicated to encouraging unity, harmony and increased integration in the district of Badulla, an area that is home to an array of multi-ethnic families. We are proud to have had 3000 school children and their parents from the local community, participating in this event, which turned out to be an immense success. We are grateful for Munchee’s support and investment in the festival, which we hope to develop into a sustainable long-term initiative that can be implemented across the country.”

Also commenting on the festival, Theja Peiris, Group General Manager – Marketing, Ceylon Biscuits said: “Munchee as the flagship brand of Ceylon Biscuits Limited is proud to have been a part of this important event, which focused on uniting children and families of all ethnicities and backgrounds through the use of competitive sports. We would like to thank the State Minister for inviting us to partner with this event and we look forward to supporting its implementation in the future. Given the success of this year’s programme in Badulla, we believe that it can be extended to other parts of the country as well. We feel that the festival effectively fosters national unity amongst the youth of Sri Lanka, which is the need of the hour and will prove essential to building a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka.”