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It is always the done thing to felicitate people who have served society in numerous fields. But every effort to appreciate such personalities, by awarding titles, medals and so on, most often tend to end up in bitter controversy, if not chaos.
The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) move to honour people who have served the game of cricket voluntarily in every Test playing country has faced a similar scenario in Sri Lanka now.
On Friday (July 17) in Colombo, 50 selected persons were awarded ICC medallions amidst a media and public uproar as to how some leading figures in the local cricket field were left out and on what basis some were included for the awards.
= Was there bias or bureaucracy, not the actual guidelines stipulated by the organisers, playing a big role in nominating the Lankans for this ICC prize?
= Weren’t people like Palitha Perera, Percy Abeysekera, Kushil Gunasekara and Sa’adi Thawfeeq eligible to receive such international recognition?
= Why did SLC opt against recognising the services of people who are not presently in the country or are deceased (I.e.: Gamini Dissanayake) when other countries didn’t maintain such a policy?
The readers can send in their views to this public forum we’re opening today in ‘The Island’ running for a two week period.
Write to us on the issue.
E-mail sports@upali.lk or ads267no@gmail.com
Fax 0112-497543
Post: Sports Editor, ‘The Island’, 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo-13.
Recipients of awards:
Hemaka Amarasuriya, Frank Cooray, Mohan de Silva, Fairlie Dalpathado, Major G. W. S. de Silva, Vernon de Mel, Ashantha de Mel, Aravinda de Silva, Chrisantha de Silva, Michael de Zoysa, Bandula S. de Silva, Jayantha Dharmadasa, Upali Dharmadasa, Premasara Epasinghe, Abu Fuard, Ranjit Fernando, Gwen Herath, Lakshman Jayakody, Ajit Jayasekera, Vijaya Malalasekera, K. Mathivanan, Lionel Mendis, Nelson Mendis, Duleep Mendis, Nuski Mohammed, A. J. M. Muzamil, Jayantha Paranathala, Neil Perera, S. S. Perera, Felix Perumal, P. I. Peiris, H. Premasiri, Anurudha Polonnavita, Ana Punchihewa, R. Rajamahendran, M. Rajasingham, Arjuna Ranatunga, Ranjit Samarasekera, Gamini Salgado, Mahinda Seneviratne, Chandra Schaffter, S. Skandakumar, Anura Tennakoon, Michael Tissera, Sidat Wettimuny, Shelly Wickramasinghe, Leo Wijesinghe, Rienzie Wijetilleke, Berty Wijesinghe, Daham Wimalasena.
