Tokyo Cement walks the walk with Sir Ian Botham

Wednesday, 6 November 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Tokyo Cement (Lanka) PLC, the leading manufacturer and supplier of international standard cement in Sri Lanka, once again demonstrated its commitment to responsible citizenship by coming forward to sponsor ‘Beefy’s Big Walk 2013’ from Kilinochchi to Mankulam. The walk which commenced at 8 a.m. on 1 November was led by cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham, who was accompanied by a varied group of volunteers, many of whom were from Tokyo Cement, who marched more than 25 kilometres in the sweltering heat from Kilinochchi to Mankulam.

The 160 mile walk organised by Laureus Sports in collaboration with the Foundation Of Goodness, hopes to collect funds to build a new sports facility that would empower the youth in the north of Sri Lanka. The complex will offer the youth of the region the facilities to be trained in sports such as swimming, volleyball, cricket, netball and badminton, thus allowing them new opportunities to be competitive nationally, levelling the playing field. Fundraising for the sports complex in the north will also receive the support of other cricketing greats including Sunil Gavaskar, Steve Waugh, Allan Border, Sourav Ganguly, Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara. South African rugby legend and Laureus World Sports Academy Member Morné du Plessis is also flying in from Capetown to join Sir Ian on his island-wide trek. Speaking on the partnership Tokyo Cement Chairman Edgar Gunatunge said: “We are proud to partner with Laureus and the Foundation for Goodness in this promising initiative. In the wise words of Nelson Mandela ‘Sport has a power to change the world’ and so we hope that the funds we raise today, for this new sports complex will help build bridges for the youth across the island; bonding us together through an emphasis on teamwork and friendly competition.” Corporate citizenship is integral to Tokyo Cement’s DNA; their CSR initiatives range from the first-ever ‘All Island Schools Quiz’ intended to encourage education and incite intellectual competitiveness amongst the nation’s youth, to the reforestation of mangroves along vulnerable coastlines and the rehabilitation of coral reefs with recycled concrete. Tokyo Cement is also at the forefront of improving occupational opportunities through The AYS Gnanam Construction Training Academy, which enhances the quality of skilled labour in our workforce, while collaborating with construction bodies to advance national quality standards. Tokyo Cement’s work to incorporate sensible sustainable solutions into operations lead to their pioneering the use biomass power to generate enough clean energy for all their daily production needs. Tokyo Cement Ltd. is a pioneer in cement manufacturing technology, laying claim to numerous industry firsts, including the setting up of the country’s first automated cement factory. With a proven history of quality and integrity, Tokyo Cement is one of the country’s most valuable brands and the preferred choice of the Sri Lankan consumer. A consistent policy of innovation, equipment modernisation and productivity improvements have enabled Tokyo Cement to deliver the best possible products, services, and construction solutions.