SPORT
The Sri Lankan cricket team is a national cricket team representing Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test playing nation. The Sri Lankan team transformed themselves from underdog status to a major cricketing nation during the 1990s. The team went on to win the 1996 Cricket World Cup, beating Australia in the finals, and becoming World Champions. Since then, the team has continued to be a major force in international cricket. Sri Lankan team currently holds several word records including world records for highest team totals in all three forms of the game, Test, ODI and, Twenty20. The Sri Lanka team did well to reach the finals of the 2007 Cricket World Cup in a rain-affected match. The batting of Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva (retired), backed up by the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, among many other talented cricketers, has underpinned the successes of Sri Lankan cricket during the last 15 years. The team is administered by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Volley Ball is the National Sport of Sri Lanka and popular mainly in rural areas. To improve the standards few championships are held annually to promote it.
Volleyball in Sri Lanka has reached a good standard due to the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation officials taking a keen interest in promoting and developing the game. The present set of volleyballers have the opportunity to participate in many tournaments to display their skills and to further improve.
Basketball was introduced to Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon) in the year 1917 by Walter Cammak, an American who was the director of physical education of the Central YMCA in Colombo. The YMCA took this game to different parts of the country included in its physical training proram. Around the capital cily of colombo the municipality playgrounds and other clubs took up this game rapidly.
The first school to introduce basketball was Ananda College in 1927, and later many schools followed suit. 1936 was very significant, as in that year the Japanese and Filipino Olympic teams played in Sri Lanka for the first time. The Second World War brought to Sri Lanka many services teams, which gave further impetus to the game.
With increased participation in the game, the need for a strong controlling body was very evident. Consequently in November 1950, the Ceylon Basketball Association was formed with Mr. John Exter, the Governor of the Central Bank, as President, Subsequently the mercantile and public school associations were formed. The Public School Association was instrumental in spreading this game among the student population and in conducting several tournaments.
The Sri Lanka national football team is the national team of Sri Lanka and is controlled by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka. It was known as the Ceylon national football team until 1972, when Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka.A member of the AFC, the team have yet to make their first appearance in FIFA World Cup or AFC Asian Cup championship play. They have been South Asian champions once, in 1995. As is true elsewhere on the sub-continent, top-level football in Sri Lanka stands somewhat in the shadow of the country's test cricket team. However, the side did qualify for the second stage of Asian qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
Sri Lanka rugby has a long history, dating back to the days of British colonialism. Rugby was first played in Sri Lanka way back in the 1870s, with the first club, Colombo Football Club, being established in 1879.The nation's first 'national' match involved an All Ceylon team against the All Blacks.Mahesh Rodrigo, better known as an international cricketer, also captained the national team.The 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia, also played an unofficial match in Ceylon on their way homeThe furthest they have made was to Round 2 of the Asian qualifying competition for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. The Sri Lanka rugby team performed above expectations during the qualifying campaign for the world cup, and saw its world ranking improve from 68th place to 43rd place, and its Asian ranking improve to fifth place.
THE BRITISH, the colonial rulers introduced modern sports including Athletics to Sri Lanka earlier known as Ceylon. The British planters and the garrisons stationed in the upcountry and other towns organized sports clubs where they promoted Athletics, Boating and Cricket. Thus they were known as ABC clubs. The first athletics meet in the country was held in 1868 on the 9th, 10th and 11th June of 1868 at the Riffle Esplanade – Kandy.The Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) was born as a National Sports organization in 1896 when Col G R Savage and Mr Wilton Bartlet and other enthusiasts in the European Community and predominant European Clubs joined together to form the Ceylon AAA and it was affiliated to the British Amateur Athletic Association.In 1922 Col T Y Wright was selected as the First President of the Ceylon AmateurAthletic Association which was later re-named as the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka. Mr R W Cammack the Physical Director of the Y M C A was selected Hony Secretary while Mr S P Foenander was selected as the Hony Assistant Secretary.The Association became affiliated to the International Amateur Athletic Federation on the 18th January 1922. Therefore the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka considers that its inauguration as a duly recognized controlling body of Athletics from 18th January 1922.
The Sri Lankan cricket team is a national cricket team representing Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test playing nation. The Sri Lankan team transformed themselves from underdog status to a major cricketing nation during the 1990s. The team went on to win the 1996 Cricket World Cup, beating Australia in the finals, and becoming World Champions. Since then, the team has continued to be a major force in international cricket. Sri Lankan team currently holds several word records including world records for highest team totals in all three forms of the game, Test, ODI and, Twenty20. The Sri Lanka team did well to reach the finals of the 2007 Cricket World Cup in a rain-affected match. The batting of Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva (retired), backed up by the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, among many other talented cricketers, has underpinned the successes of Sri Lankan cricket during the last 15 years. The team is administered by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Volley Ball is the National Sport of Sri Lanka and popular mainly in rural areas. To improve the standards few championships are held annually to promote it.
