UK school cricket team visits Aluthgama

By Thusitha Kumara de Silva - Aluthgama  

A school cricket team from the UK visiting Sri Lanka was given a warm and heartfelt welcome upon their arrival at the Blue Sapphire Tourist Hotel in Kaluwamodara, Aluthgama.  
The visit, coordinated by Sri Lankan cricket coaches Saminda Senapathi and Tushendra de Zoysa—who train British school children in cricket—marks a significant cultural and sporting exchange. The team arrived in the country on the afternoon of April 7 and will be staying for ten days, accompanied by their parents.  
During their stay, the young cricketers will immerse themselves in Sri Lankan culture by observing Sinhala and Tamil New Year rituals. In addition, they will take part in a cricket tournament featuring school teams from Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and several other regions across the island. Team manager Saminda Senapathi emphasised that the visit aims not only to foster sporting talent but also to promote Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Supporting this initiative, the Managing Director of Blue Sapphire Tourist Hotel, Rajik de Silva, extended a warm welcome to the visiting team upon their arrival at the hotel premises.  
Photographs captured during the welcome ceremony show the team receiving a traditional Sri Lankan greeting.