This is the 9th successful year of this far-reaching partnership, that provides aspiring young cricketers from rural areas with access to quality training facilities to improve their cricketing talents.
The Tokyo Cement-Foundation of Goodness Cricket Coaching Academy began back in 2014 by setting up training facilities at Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala MCC Lords and Seenigama Sri Wimalabuddhi Surrey Oval, two grounds fully equipped with indoor and outdoor nets for cricket practices, under the patronage of the Tokyo Cement Group.
Mr. Anura De Silva, Director Sports of the Foundation of Goodness heads the Cricket Academy, which conducts monthly training sessions with professional coaching staff of the FoG, under the leadership of celebrated cricket coaches, Mr. Hemantha Devapriya and Mr. Susantha Karunarathna.
Promising young school cricketers are groomed by renowned coaches as well as local and international former cricket legends who contribute their expertise from time to time.
Star performers identified through the project are enrolled in an elite players’ pool, where they receive specialized training.
The success of the Southern cricket camps encouraged Tokyo Cement to extend the programme to the North in 2017, in search of future cricketing sensations.
The coaching camps held in the North were received with much enthusiasm, attracting many schoolgirl and schoolboy cricketers from all age groups from areas such as Jaffna, Killinochchi, Oddusudan, Mankulam, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar.
Its long-term aim is to take 50 Northern youth under its wings, to be trained to become star class Sri Lankan cricketers.
The Cricket Coaching Academy has so far produced hundreds of outstanding schoolgirl and schoolboy cricketers who now play at Divisional and National level.
This includes multiple superstars from the Sri Lanka Women’s National Team, such as Kaveesha Dilhari, Sachini Nisansala, Imesha Dulani, Kawya Kavindi, Umasha Thimeeshani, Nilakshana Sandamini, Sathya Sandeepani, Sachini Gimahani, and many others, who have brought unprecedented glory to the country, including winning the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024.
In addition, the FOG Cricket Academy is represented in the Sri Lanka Men’s National Team by top-notch players such as Navod Paranavithana, Malsha Tharupathi, Haren Weerasinghe, S. Mathushan and many more.
Star-class international players such as Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and the Captain of the Sri Lanka National Hearing-impaired Cricket Team Gimadu Malcolm are also among the distinguished talent unearthed through the Tokyo Cement-Foundation of Goodness Cricket Coaching Academy.
With the renewed partnership, it is poised to create more opportunities for talented young cricketers from remote areas to achieve their dreams of a successful sports career and bring fame to our motherland.