At a Press Conference held at the Defence Ministry Media Centre, on Wednesday (9), Major General Jagath Dias, Chief of Staff said that Sri Lanka Army Para Games - 2015, an annual event in the Army calendar of events, is to be attended by foreign para athletes, including Indians, Pakistanis, Indonesians, Malaysians and Nepalese.
As a hand of friendship, goodwill and reconciliation, several Para Athletic Associations in the North and East have also been invited to attend this three-day long tournament as observers.
Serious thought has been given into possibilities of including those para athletes from the North and East also in the tournament in the future, considering the high numbers of disable sportsmen resident in war-affected areas while providing them with complete Army sponsorship, Major General Dias said.
It is heartening to note that the 2016 Brazil Paralympics is seriously considering the inclusion of several para athletes of the Army from the fields of shooting, athletics, archery, swimming, wheelchair, etc and a group of about 14 such athletes have now been identified by the authorities, and if all that goes well, this will be another milestone for the Army, Major General Dias added.
Major General Jagath Dias who is also the Chairman, Sri Lanka Army Para Sports Committee announced that this year’s Sri Lanka Army Para Games, with the blessings and directions of the Commander of the Army, would make a difference with the participation of increased numbers of foreign sportsmen and for the first time, observers from civil sector para athletic societies, operating in the North and East. All signs affirm that the Army arrangements in this field have been well-recognized.
The Sri Lanka Army Para Games in 2015 has been patronized by DI Industries (Main Sponsor), Dialog, Lallans, Laugf Gas, Avant Garde and a few other leading business ventures. Similarly, all the regiments in the Army as well as Colonels of Regiments have lavishly contributed to make this event a huge success.
Selected athletes in the 2-month long tournament before the finals, vied for supremacy, amid huge enthusiasm and excitement in their respective Regimental Headquarters premises after the events formally commenced earlier with wheelchair Basket Ball competitions, etc
Later on, events in Badminton, Cycling, Wheelchair Marathon, Archery, Weight-Lifting, Volleyball, Volleyball (sitting), Beach Volleyball, Table Tennis, Cricket, Swimming, Wheelchair Tennis, Air Rifle Shooting and Athletics followed.
Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva, Commander of the Army and distinguished invitees are expected to attend ceremonies, associated with the opening and the closing events.
This mega event will undoubtedly instill a new glimmer of hope among more than 845 differently able War Heroes who have displayed their unbeatable sport skills in the past two months with the determined intention of receiving accolades in the final tournament, Major General Dias added.
The tournament covers fourteen track and field events and reaches to a climax with athletic and relay events, taking the centre-stage.
Previously known as the Army Disable Sports Meet, it saw its birth in the year 1991, but was renamed and re-designed in 2010, to be called the Sri Lanka Army Para Games particularly with the increased numbers of affected soldiers during fierce battles.
Brigadier J.R Ampemohotti, Vice President, Army Para Games Committee, Brigadier Rajeev Wickremasinghe, Chairman, Army Para Athletic Committee, Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera, Director Media at Army Headquarters and acting Military Spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Deepal Herath, Secretary, Army Para Games Committee who were at the head table contributed to the discussion.
Paralympics medalist, Warrant Officer II Pradeep Sanjaya and Asian Para Games medalist, Sergeant Y.P.A.P Jayalath also attended the Press Conference. (Army Media)
