Rugby goes to Muthur

Sport for Peace, Education, Empowerment and Development (SPEED), a national Non-Governmental Organization in partnership with the Rugby Football Union of Sri Lanka, and the Eastern Provincial Council, organised a tag rugby training on 6 April in Paddithidel Maha Vidyalaya, Pattithidal, Muthur Sri Lanka as part of the events organised to celebrate the international day of Sport for Development and Peace. 

The rugby training was organised with the participation of over 300 students from four schools in Muthur, and with the intention to raise awareness on good practices, empower children of the Eastern province, and to promote the sport of rugby outside of Colombo and urban Sri Lanka. Additional Director/Physical Education, Muthur Zone A.W.M. Jawath, Manager (Women’s Rugby Development) of Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union Tanuja Kulathunge, Chairman of SPEED Priyantha Pathirana, principals of schools and teachers attended the event. 

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekare said: “Sport is a way to build peace, and bring people together. The international day of Sport for Development and Peace has recognised these two concepts. In Sri Lanka we need to take sport development to the rural communities, this event is a step towards it.”

The international day of Sport for Development and Peace was established to be celebrated on the 6 April by the United Nations General Assembly in its Resolution (A/RES/67/296). It was organised with the intention of encouraging and facilitating states, relevant international organisations, and international, regional and national sport organisations, civil society including, non-governmental organisations and the private sector, to cooperate, observe and raise awareness of the role of sport in development and peace building. 

Declaration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also acknowledges the role of sport for social progress and recognises the growing contribution of sport to the realisation of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect.

SPEED Chairman said: “The international day of sport development for peace provides an important platform to advocate more investment in sport, related infrastructure and quality physical education for youth among government. The day is an opportunity to promote sport, and to introduce sports such as rugby which were formerly restricted to the urban society which in turn created exclusion of those living in rural Sri Lanka. This event is such an effort, to take sports outside of cities, and to the villages to ensure that sport is inclusive to all, and non-discriminatory. Most importantly we seek to create awareness on sport being a solution to bridge bridges between communities to contribute to development.”

SPEED is a national Non-Governmental Organization aiming to promote and uplift the performance of Sri Lankan’s sport and to develop the country using sport as a vehicle. For further information contact Eranga Fernando on: (+94) 11 2426100 – 6, or  Priyantha Pathirana on +94 773522300 Website: speed.lk.