Kangaroo Vs Lions ; 140-Yr Sticks & Stones Rivalry Reconciled with All-Yellow Bat & Ball Game – By KKS Perera Source:dailymirror.lk British rock band Coldplay’s “Yellow” released on 26 June -2000 reached number four on the UK Singles Chart: they sang….  “Look at the stars” Look how they shine for you And everything you do Yeah, they were all yellow Australian cricket authorities and players responded positively to a tour that was hanging in balance after political insecurity and the economic catastrophe that prevailed. Appreciating their gesture, spectators kept their ‘blues’ in wardrobes and sported yellow on Friday; a well deserved accolade for sporting Kangaroos, ending a record five-match series victory for the Lions. The most luminous colour of the spectrum, Yellow captures our attention of happiness, optimism, enlightenment and creativity.  The ‘Tampa Bay Lightning’ is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida, banned fans entering in opposing teams’ ...

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What’s Happening to Cricket?- By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando   Everyone in Sri Lanka, from children to grown-ups, know about cricket. Though volleyball is known as Sri Lanka’s national game, cricket took its place due to its popularity. There was a time when even Kussi Ammas were engrossed in the game whenever cricket matches appeared on TV screens.  When players such as Duleep Mendis, Kumar Sangakkara, Roshan Mahanama, Bandula Warnapura, Sanath Jayasuriya, Brenden Kuruppu or Arjuna Ranatunge batted, crowds were enthusiastic. The game’s enthusiasm peaked when Arjuna Ranatunge won the world cup in 1996. Cricket is a pitch and tosses game, where one team wins today and the rivals win tomorrow.  The rule book says that players must act on numerous regulations and disciplinary codes vested upon the umpires, captains, and the Governing bodies. The game needs to be played according to the game’s rules and within the spirit of ...

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A visionary for all time By Lakshman Hulugalle Gamini Dissanayake Source:sundaytimes.lk March 20, 2022 marks the 80th birth anniversary of the charismatic and extraordinary politician, the late Gamini Dissanayake. I still remember a day like today in 1992 how busy we were organising his book launch “Gamini Dissanayake 50, a Beginning” compiled by Dr. Sarath Amunugama and myself at the hotel formerly known as Lanka Oberoi for his 50th birthday. The colourful ceremony was presided over by India’s one time Foreign Minister Shri Natwar Singh and attended by more than 500 selected invitees. Gamini Dissanayake was born on March 20, 1942 in Kotmale, to Andrew Dissanayake and Welagedera Samaratunga Kumarihamy. He was the second in a family of seven and was educated at Trinity College, Kandy, which he joined in 1948. He entered the Law College of Sri Lanka in 1961 and passed out as an advocate, taking his oaths ...

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A fine read from a fine writer-by Manik de Silva Source:Island Vijaya Chandrasoma, a not infrequent contributor to these pages, has published a selected compilation of his articles, adding an autobiographical section on his own life which the reader will see has had its many ups and downs. A wry sense of humour and an ability for self-deprecation in the pages dealing with his personal life makes the book a delight to read; not only because of his writing talent and ability to tell a good story, no doubt inherited from his father, M. Chandrasoma, a highly reputed Civil Servant from a previous age; but also that he’s had a most interesting life both in Sri Lanka where he was born, schooled and grew up, an interlude in the UK and thereafter in the USA where he emigrated in his middle years and lived for 20 years before returning home ...

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Nostalgia of “brawl” of late Gamini “D” in conquering Test status by Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane When Sri Lanka seized the World Cup from the Australians in the year 1996 they unequivocally proved to the whole World that the Sri Lankans were a power house in the cricketing world. The whole country was jubilant. Youth danced in delirious delight. The moment was ecstatic. Grateful as Sri Lankans usually are  many a mind recalled with joy and profound gratitude, inter alia, the one man who made the Sri Lankan dream a reality. In silent appreciation they remembered the name of Gamini Dissanayake. GD was born into a family of dignified lineage in Kandy. He qualified as a lawyer. Forsaking what would have been a lucrative legal practice he entered politics and soon was given the coveted position of Minister of Mahaveli Development. Having forsaken his lucrative legal career to pander to ...

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Supreme politician-By Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane Source:Sundayobserver As a young and energetic politician and the people’s representative from the Nuwara Eliya district, Gamini Dissanayake extended a yeoman service to all constituents with devotion, obligation and absolute dedication using his characteristic charismatic loom. He did so irrespective of caste, creed and religion, despite political affiliations. It would be difficult to find a more solitary politician in the archives of history of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. He was vastly commended and held in sky-scraping esteem by his contemporaries and cherished by his political opponents, predominantly due to his impartial and unbiased mind-set principally owing to his unprejudiced stance.  He was a unique and extraordinary politician who listened to the masses, solved their problems, and touched their lives in a very affirmative and compassionate way. Anyone who was eager to meet him had very uncomplicated access, irrespective of their political ...

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Gamini Dissanayake, a supreme politician – by Sunil Thenabandu As a young and energetic politician and the people’s representative in the Nuwara Eliya District, Gamini Dissanayake extended yeoman service to all constituents with devotion, obligation and absolute dedication using his characteristic charismatic loom, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, despite of each person’s political affiliations. It would be tricky to find a single politician in the archives of history of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka who was as vastly commended and held in sky-scraping esteem by his contemporaries and so cherished by his political opponents, predominantly due to his impartial and unbiased mindset principally owed to his unprejudiced stance. He was a unique and extraordinary politician who listened to the masses, solved their problems, and touched their lives in a very affirmative and compassionate mode. Anyone who was eager to meet him had very uncomplicated access, irrespective of their ...

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The men behind the nation’s lifeblood The Victoria Dam Source:Dailynews One of the main engineering pioneers of the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme, Senior Engineer Douglas Ladduwahetty passed away at the age of 96 recently. A few years ago, the Daily News interviewed him and several other senior officials for an article on the Mahaweli programme. Excerpts from that article are reproduced in tribute to Douglas Ladduwahetty. “The Mahaweli programme brought out the best in public service, while also highlighting their ingenuity, commitment, perseverance and capability to adapt to difficult and changing circumstances. For many, it was a platform to boost their careers, and it gave a generation of civil servants, the courage and capacity to dream of something bigger than themselves. Forty years later, many who spoke of the Mahaweli Programme with the Daily News, did so with awe, especially in the case of its Accelerated Phase. ...

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Killi Rajamahendran, Kerry Packer of Sri Lankan cricket-by Rex Clementine Source:Island Kerry Packer was a godsend to Australian cricket. So was Killi Rajamahendran. At a time when cricket in Sri Lanka had no money, he financed the sport, single-handedly. He passed away yesterday at the age of 78. Killi, as he was fondly known, employed many cricketers; Duleep Mendis, Roy Dias, Arjuna Ranatunga, Ashantha de Mel, Sidath Wettimuny…. the list goes on. Players need not turn up for work at Maharaja’s, but if they did not attend training, Killi had a bone to pick. Ask Ashantha de Mel. Killi made the sport semi-professional. ...

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Dudley: One of Sri Lanka’s greatest sons-by Karu Jayasuriya Source:Dailymirror History does not provide us with answers to all todays or tomorrows questions; but it definitely provides us with options to answers to these questions if looked at carefully. I am indeed pleased to associated with the 110th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Hon. Dudley Senanayake – One of Ceylon’s greatest Sons and one of the nation’s most eminent liberal thinkers of the 20th century. His life and political conduct stand out as a beacon of light through history and is worthy of emulation to generations beyond his. June 19th 1911 was Poson Poya Day, an extremely auspicious day for Sri Lankan Buddhist. As it happened Don Sapter Senanayake, Dudley’s grandfather had pre-arranged to gift land to build the Senanayake Mudalindaramaya Temple in Ambepussa. While the land gifting ceremony was going on in Ambepussa in the presence of Don Sapter and ...

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