The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched the first phase of distributing exercise equipment sets worth over Rs. 65 million to 500 schools island‑wide, under the School Cricket Development Programme.
According to the ministry, the initiative is aimed at raising the standard of school cricket while improving students’ physical fitness.
The programme, which began with allocations from the 2024 Budget, is being implemented jointly by the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports, and the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association.
In its first stage in 2024, 273 new practice wickets and 76 grounds were built for schools at a cost of Rs. 408 million. In 2025, cricket equipment sets worth approximately Rs. 350,000 each were provided to 325 schools that had newly started playing cricket.
As the latest phase, exercise equipment sets valued at more than Rs. 100,000 each are now being distributed, with special attention given to rural schools. The Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association is overseeing the process to ensure transparency and prevent external interference.
Of the 500 schools selected, equipment sets for 48 schools in the Colombo District were distributed today.
To ensure proper use, short instructional videos prepared by experienced consultants will be shared with students and teachers through district‑level WhatsApp groups, allowing progress to be monitored effectively.
The distribution ceremony was attended by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage, Deputy Minister of Sports Sugath Thilakaratne, Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Dinindu Saman Hennayake, senior ministry officials, the Director of Sports of the Ministry of Education, officials of Sri Lanka Cricket and the Schools Cricket Association, as well as principals, teachers, and school students. (Newswire)
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