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| The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways Super Camp award winners with Shantha Fernando, Marketing Operations Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives, Aravinda de Silva, - Administrator, Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways, Duminda Wickramasinghe - Junior Selection Committee Representative, Ravindra Pushpakumara - Specialised Fast Bowling Coach, Stan Nell - Australian Coach and Roger Wijesuriya, the Sri Lanka Under-19 Coach. |
- 60 young cricketers received a world-class training at the Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways
- Super Camp trained the best young cricketers from Season 4 of the CCCP-2014
- Super Camp took place at the Sinhala Sports Club (SSC) and comprised 20 competitive matches
The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways (CCCP)
continued to build grassroots cricketing talent in Sri Lanka by commencing the Super
Camp here in Colombo. The Super Camp took place at the Sinhalese Sports Club
(SSC) on 19 September 2014 and provided intense training for 60 of the most
talented young cricketers from 300 participants of season four of the CCCP programme.
Conducted in partnership with Coca-Cola Sri Lanka, the Aravinda de Silva
Foundation, Sri Lanka Cricket, and the Sri
Lanka School Cricket Association, this Super Camp developed the
cricketing skills of the young cricketers and provided them with world-class
training on all aspects of the game.
Shamal Gunawardene –Country Marketing
Manager, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited, Aravinda de Silva - Administrator, Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways, and Shantha Fernando, Marketing Operations Manager Sri Lanka and
Maldives, Coca-Cola Far East Limited were
present to launch the Super Camp and wish the players.
The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways provide
a platform for young cricketers from across the country to showcase their talent
and learn cricketing skills from some of the country’s top coaches and past
cricketers.
Through a series of 20 competitive
matches, the 60 participants were placed in four separate groups to ensure that
they play a minimum of three matches each and receive optimal exposure. Adhering
to international standards, the Super Camps are conducted in the form of
limited-over matches, and provide participants with the opportunity to play
competitively against the best young cricketers from across the island. They
take place under the watchful eyes of the national coaches and national junior
selectors.
Commenting on this year’s Super Camp, Abhishek Jugran, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Sri Lanka and Maldives stated, “Coca-Cola is committed to
encouraging and supporting healthy, active lifestyles in communities across the
world. The Cricket Pathways camps provide
youngsters from all parts of the country with the opportunity to train and hone
their cricketing skills. This Super Camp brought together the best young
cricketers from season four and enabled them to showcase their talents. We hope
that through such initiatives, we can encourage youngsters to be active, stay
fit and play sports at the national level.”
Commenting on the importance of the Coca-Cola
Cricket Pathways camps, Aravinda de
Silva, Chairman, Aravinda de Silva Foundation stated, “For the Super Camp,
we pick players from all the camps and create a competitive forum where we can
identify the most talented players. The Super Camp is important because it
helps us find the best young players from the entire season and groom them
further. The youngsters also received the opportunity to learn from the best
coaches in the country. A wealth of expertise is provided at the camps via
specialized training in all aspects of the game, including batting, bowling,
fielding, wicket keeping and specialized physical fitness training methods.
Most importantly, we taught the players how to develop mental strength which is
one of the most important aspects of the game. Additionally the recognition the
young cricketers received at the camps, enabled them to build their confidence
and harness their full potential. I would like to thank Sri Lanka Cricket and
the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association for the big contribution that they
have made to the programme.”
Through the Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways
camps, a team of veteran cricketers and coaches led by Aravinda de Silva and
Australian coach Stan Nell, help young cricketers rectify any issues they have
pertaining to bowling, batting and fielding. The cricketers receive guidance;
intense, practical training and a report to help their own school coaches
further develop their skills.
The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways
programme was launched in 2008 to help identify and train aspiring young
cricketers at a grassroots level, grooming them to play at a professional level
and even for the Sri Lankan national team. The programme is conducted in the
form of camps which are held under the patronage of cricketing legend Aravinda
de Silva, with able support from the provincial and district coaches. The camps help discover cricketing talent
from across the entire country including many of Sri Lanka’s most rural areas.
These participants then receive training in both the practical and technical
aspects of the game in the space of three days. The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways programme reaffirms
Coca-Cola Sri Lanka’s commitment to support grassroots cricket in the country
whilst encouraging healthy, active lifestyles amongst the youth of the country.
Coca-Cola in Sri Lanka
Coca-Cola
in Sri Lanka refreshes consumers throughout the country with an exciting range
of beverages including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Fanta
Portello, Fanta Cream Soda, Lion Soda, Lion Gingerale, Lion Ginger Beer, Minute
Maid Orange, Minute Maid Mango and Minute Maid Mixed Fruit. The Coca-Cola
System in Sri Lanka employs more than 1500 people both directly and indirectly.
Coca-Cola undertakes a number of community development projects to provide
access to clean water and sanitation to various communities across Sri Lanka.
Our other CSR initiatives include the Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways to promote
active healthy living, PET collection for recycling with the Central
Environmental Authority, development of education and schooling facilities in
the country and empowering 12,500 women by the year 2020. We have been awarded
the National Quality Award in 2013 for our continued commitment to world class
technology and quality standards. We have also received 3 awards a CSR Award
from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce for 2nd Runner Up in the Best Corporate
Citizen Sustainability Awards (less than 15bn turnover category), Best
Sustainability Project Awards 2013 for Water Stewardship in 2013.
Tags
Sri Lanka Sports