37TH NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL OPENS

The 37th National Sports Festival opens under the patronage of President Rajapaksa.

The event is being organized at the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Homagama. Around 7,500 athletes who advanced from divisional secretarial level, district level and then at the provincial level are participating. They represent all the nine Provinces. It is hoped that the Sports Festival could produce many athletes who can display their talents and skills at the international level. The opening of the Festival took place under the auspices of the President.
The President recalled that it had been enunciated in the Mahinda Chinthana that sports was being developed as an investment, which is considered as an essential factor for future existence. As such it was pledge in the Mahinda Chinthana that significant strength had to be injected to the sports sector to groom a person. The President said it is clear that the journey was in place from the sports angle. Sports in the country is national unity and a symbol of national integration. The President opined that everyone should also be able to face defeat. He added that sports ingrain this habit. It is also the same with those who take to politics without doing sports.
The Sports Festival will continue for three days. Present at the opening ceremony were many Parliamentarians and Senior Sports Officials.