Batting for the children

The ‘Surrey Cricket Ground’ in Sri Lanka

A 13-year old English kid had pity on 11 players at a Sri Lankan village school using two bats and then created an internationally acclaimed charity

By Allaam Ousman

In a quiet coastal town once devastated by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, a remarkable sports revival has taken root. At the heart of it stands Kushil Gunasekera and Anura de Silva, former team mates at Ananda College who have transformed loss into opportunity and despair into purpose.

Their sports academy — affectionately called the Sports Theatre — is not just a training ground, but a living example of compassion in action. Built on land that once went under five feet of water during the tsunami, the ground was lovingly rebuilt with the support of the Surrey County Cricket Club and Tokyo Cement, turning tragedy into triumph. Today, it thrives as a vibrant hub for young athletes from across Sri Lanka.

“We started with nothing,” recalled Gunasekera, founder of the Foundation of Goodness in Seenigama, Hikkaduwa. “But look around now, children play cricket, girls train in netball, others swim, others play table tennis and even box. Over 950 young beneficiaries take part in nine different sports here, absolutely free.”

The academy runs on a simple but powerful belief. No child should be denied sport because of poverty. Coaches are paid, yet students don’t pay a cent. Equipment, training and even accommodation for visiting rural teams are provided free of charge.

One of the academy’s most inspiring off-shoots is its bat repair and restoration programme, spearheaded by Anura de Silva, the Director of Sports, at the Foundation of Goodness. 

Cricket bats that would otherwise be discarded are repaired, restored and returned to players who can’t afford new ones. “A good bat costs over Rs.100,000,” De Silva said. “Many rural boys and girls can’t even dream of it. So we repair them — 90 to 95 percent back to good condition for free.”

Visitors from the UK, Europe and Australia are no strangers at Kushil Gunasekera’s bat repairing project for needy cricketers at his Foundation of Goodness

Partnering with Kingsgrove Sports Australia and Harry Solomons along with Shaktha Amaratunga they built a workshop where broken handles are replaced, damaged blades repressed, and bats polished back to life. “It’s a big job,” said De Silva. “We aim to restore about 30 bats a month, and everything is done free of charge. Sometimes players leave a small donation, but most of them simply take their bat and go and that’s okay. That’s what this is about.”

It was declared open under the auspices of two former gentlemen cricketers of Sri Lanka, Michael Tissera and Sidat Wettimuny.

But the inspiration for the concept traces back to a 13-year-old English boy named Will Gaffney, who visited Sri Lanka some years ago. Shocked to see a local school team share just two bats and helmets, he returned home determined to help. 

His initiative that he declared “Bat for a Chance”, grew into an international charity, later supported by Sri Lanka cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara and others. Today at 19, Will raises thousands of pounds annually sponsoring cricket equipment for children through the very same Foundation.

The academy’s walls tell countless such stories — photos of young champions, trophies gleaming on shelves, and a mural of Shane Warne and Sir Alec Stewart are among the many international stars who have lent support. 

Four of the girls supported by the Foundation of Goodness made it to the Women’s World Cup with the Sri Lanka team and several boys represented the country’s Under-19 team — proof that this humble academy is a cradle of national talent.

Canadian music legend Bryan Adams also left his mark at the Foundation of Goodness. Moved by the tsunami’s devastation, he funded the construction of the academy’s six-lane swimming pool in 2005 through funds he raised by auctioning a guitar. “You are a man I can trust”, Adams told Gunasekera while consenting to donate 75,000 Pounds Sterling for the construction of the pool.

American swimming sensation Melissa (Missy) Franklin Johnson who won six Gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics had also visited the Foundation of Goodness and the Pool and come October 14 one of Australia’s high profile swimming coaches Alan Thompson will keep a date with Gunasekera.

Thompson served as the head coach of Swimming Australia from 2005 to 2010 during which time the Australian team created history at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Today hundreds of under-privileged boys and girls see the Pool at the Foundation of Goodness as something for their future.

As Gunasekera walks around the ground, his pride shines quietly. “We don’t just build athletes,” he said. “We build confidence, teamwork and hope. Sports can change a child’s life. It changed mine too. That’s why we do this.”

From the rhythmic sound of cricket bats being repaired to the laughter of children on the field, the academy embodies a powerful truth. When kindness meets purpose, even broken things — and broken dreams — can be restored.

Kushil Gunasekera, the crusader of many an under-privileged boy and girl with children his Academy sponsors from a young age

The six-lane swimming pool at Seenigama, Hikkaduwa belonging to the Foundation of Goodness built with funds provided by international singer, songwriter and guitarist Bryan Adams

The trophy and library section of the Foundation of Goodness