Most cricketers in 1996 WC winning team started at 10 yrs says Niroshan Padukke
The UNP is up in arms over an Education Department circular directing schools to stop sports for students under 13 years of age.
Western Provincial Council UNP member Niroshan Padukke, addressing a news conference in Colombo, said that the circular would retard the progress of sports in the country and affect its chances even at international level.
Citing an example, he noted that most of the cricketers in the 1996 World Cup winning team, had started their careers when they were around 10 years old.
Padukke pointed out that the circular, which has called for all sports to be played only at Under 15 level, applied to indoor disciplines as well. That was ludicrous, he said.
The reason given by the Education Department for its directive, Padukke said, was that those who competed in sports at a young age suffered mental and physical stress. But, it had failed to take into account the fact that students had to sit for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination when they turned 16 and the GCE Advanced Level thereafter.
Padukke observed that sports created a healthy mind in a healthy body and trying to harness skills around the age of 14 might not be successful in many cases.
The number of teams participating in sports at school, dropped as the age level increased. Currently, 630 schools took part in Under 13 sports, 520 at the Under 15 level, 300 at the Under 17 stage and 200 at the Under 19 level. That indicated that students found less time for sports as they grew older and not when they were younger, Padukke said.
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