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National
Youth Sports Festival at Embilipitiya
By
Dhammika Ratnaweera
Over 2000 athletes including from North and East provinces are expected
to take part at the 19th National Youth Sports Festival scheduled
to be held from September 7 to 9 at Mahaweli Esplanade Embilipitiya.
National Youth Services Centre, Sri Lanka Youth Social Association
and Youth Affairs Ministry jointly organize this sports festival
and this will be a good opportunity for the athletes especially
from the rural areas .
Youth Affairs Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said that this sports
festival gives good opportunities for the rural youth athletes.
They have in-born talents but no opportunities to show their talents.
Youth Sports Festival gives good platform to the rural level athletes
to come forward to the national level. Last year the Youth Sports
Festival was held at Anuradhapura and an athlete from Kurunegala
District, Madumanthi was adjudged the best athlete of the meet with
a new high jump meet record. Today she is the national high jump
record holder.
The opening ceremony of the Youth Sports Festival will be held on
September 7, at 4. p.m while Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge will
be the chief guest. The closing ceremony will be held on September
9th at 4 p.m. and Youth Affairs Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi
will be the chief guest .
The athletes who excelled during the area level, district level
and provincial level will take part at the National Sports Festival.
Therefore cream of the youth athletes will take part at this meet.
Earlier youth marathon meet was held at Palmadulla and prior to
the opening ceremony cycle race will be held on September 6th flag
down from Embilipitiya covering 150 km towards Colombo road to Ratnapura
and back to Embilipitiya. Womens cycle race will also start
from Embilipitiya covering 65 km. The National Cycle Federation
give their assistance to conduct this cycle races a success. The
track and field events to be conducted on both days September 8
and 9 at Mahaweli Esplanade Embilipitiya .
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