Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Chief, D.S. de Silva is continuing with his project of providing cricket gear to outstation schools with the latest consignment of aid to be distributed in Trincomalee within a few days time. But dozens of schools are on the verge of giving up cricket this year due to financial difficulties.

According to de Silva, the SLC launched a few years ago the biggest ever cricket aid project in recent history to help the needy schools under the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In fact, the project has given helping hand to hundreds of schools making the prospects of the youngsters brighter. It has spent millions of rupees on the project to date. Recently over Rs.10 million was spent to provide cricket gear to schools in Jaffna alone.

Despite the aid reaching outstation schools, a number of schools are facing difficulties to sustain the heavy cost involved in continuing cricket.

The SLSCA tournament committee demoted five schools in the U-17 tournament and nearly ten schools in the U-15 tournament to the lowest Division-III tournament because of their non participation last year.

Out of the five schools demoted to Division-III in the U-17 tournament, the participation of at least four schools are in doubt for this year’s tournament.

When ‘Sunday Island’ spoke to a randomly-picked four schools in Ratnapura district, at least three schools said that their participation was not certain in the Division-III tournament because of lack of funds.

Of the 46 schools that took part in the U-17 Division-II tournament, five schools were demoted for not playing a single match last year. Ananda Maithriya National School, Balangoda, Kuruwita M.M.V., St. Thomas’ College, Guruthalawa, Gankanda M.M.V., Pelmadulla and Embilipitiya National School were the schools demoted.

While Embilipitiya National School, which has excelled in Division-II in previous years has received cricket gear needed to recommence cricket at the College this year from the project, the participation of other schools are uncertain. Upali Ruwanpathirana, an official of Embilipitiya NS said that they were lucky to get the cricket gear for both their senior and junior teams from SLC and were taking part in this year’s tournament after a lapse.

"We were demoted because we couldn’t play last year. Last year, we didn’t have cricket gear. But this year thanks to the materials given away by D.S. de Silva we can engage in cricket. It was the first consignment of such material given to us since the time of the Thilanga Sumathipala administration. Now we are equipped. We will fight for out Division-II spot," Ruwanpathirana said.

The officials of several other schools including officials from some demoted schools said that they were unable to take part in the tournament because of lack of funds.