The Chief Minister of the Eastern Province has approved plans for an inter-provincial sports and cultural festival to be held in Batticaloa.  This is the latest in a series of events being organised by the Peace Secretariat to promote interaction between young people from different communities and regions of the country under the Sports for Peace initiative. 

The festival will include cricket, football and volleyball competitions, as well as dance and musical shows. It will be held around the time of the Thai Pongal.

Young people from all nine provinces will participate in the event. The respective chief ministers have already selected their teams and cultural groups, which are expected to include around 300 boys and 100 girls. The majority will be visiting the East for the first time. 

The Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University, Dr. Pathmanadan, has offered to provide accommodation for the boys, on the recommendation of the President of the Eastern University Students’ Union, Mr. Modis. Many of the young people visiting for the event would hope to go on to higher studies, and they would gain an insight into campus life during their stay. They would also have the opportunity to interact with the 1,500 Tamil students from all over the country who are currently studying at the Eastern University. 

The girls will be accommodated at the Sarvodaya Centre, which was recently established with assistance from the United States. In addition to providing vocational training, the Sarvodaya Centre also ensures that trainees get a good working knowledge of English. 

The festival will take place at the Eastern University and Sarvodaya grounds. Some events will also be held at the St. Michael’s College indoor stadium. 

Chief Minister of East, through the committee of officials appointed by him to make arrangements for the event, will provide all facilities to the visiting youths including their meals. Several Banks operating in the East are to meet the cost. The Batticaloa Trader's Association will also chip in with their contribution to make the visit a memorable one. 

Social Affairs Unit 

Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process

Courtesy: SCOPP