14 athletes receive NOCCrysbro scholarship

Senior Marketing Manager Crysbro Amores Sellar and President National Olympic Committee Suresh Subramaniam launching the nextolympichope.com portal while (L to R) Nalin Aluthge (PR Manager Crysbro), Secretary General National Olympic Committee Maxwell de Silva and Gamini Jayasinghe (Treasurer NOC SL) looks on.

BY SUSIL PREMALAL

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) and Crysbro have extended their scholarship programme for promising athletes to 14. With the target of providing financial assistance to up to 20 international sports prospects, the NOC partnered with Crysbro in a programme that would award the athletes Rs. 2 million over a period of two years. Five athletes were selected initially.

They were Ravindu Sithum Jayasundara (athletics), Tharushi Karunarathne (athletics), W. Deshan Kapila Kumara (weightlifting), R.L. Sachini Rajika Laksarani (weightlifting) and Japanbased gymnast Milka Gehani by a selection committee headed by former Sri Lanka sprint sensation Shehan Ambepitiya. Under the programme the following athletes received their scholarship certificate and the cheques and were added to this list: Kanas Kumar Danushan (golf), Amandhika Amarasinghe (shooting), M. Tehan Sanchith Rayman (boxing), Sudhdhathcharige Nethmi Nimthera (boxing), P. D. Senura Dilanka Silva (table tennis), A. D. Nadila Nethviru (gymnastics), U. L. Tharinda Mandara Premakumara (taekwondo), M. Senori Sasadara Fernando (taekwondo) and Seneca Gunaratne (athletics). The balance six scholarships will be awarded soon. Meanwhile “Nextolympichope.com” portal where the public could be of assistance to needy athletes was also launched. This programme initially would be only for the athletes.