Kumar and Mahela …. Cricket and Reconciliation… Northern Empowerment … via Alison’s Tea Break

Alison’s Tea Break … SEE http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/585472.html

Kumar Sangakkara talks about his relationship with Mahela Jayawardene, using cricket to give back to the community, and administration ambitions (26:21)

Summary Points extracted from this interview by the Web Editor:

* ICC invested 100,000 dollars towards the Murali Harmony Cup

* MCC continued its support for the Foundation of Goodness.

* Grange Hotels London provided 40,000 pounds to create the Oddusuddan cricket grounds with every possible facility (after just one phone call from Sanga).

* The SL Army was central to the work of developing the grounds de nova…. and are involved in a hands-on fashion in most of the social work and development in the north and east.

* The Murali Cup was not just playing ciricket against each other BUT also exchanging ideas, mixing and matching.

* St Peter’s College decided its team would intermix in dormitories and did so with the Mullaitivu team. In the result that team came to Jaffna to cheer St Peter’s in their match versus the Jaffna Combined Schools in the final.

* Plenty of cricketing talent in the north and east — some players will eventually rise to the top.
* From way back in Marvan’s time the cricketers have pooled their winnings in funds set aside for social service donations of various kinds — philanthropic investments done without fanfare

*Kushil Gunasekera and his Foundation of Goodness maintain 20,00 people annually –not just around Seenigama, but everywhere.

ALSO SEE http://cricketique.wordpress.com/2012/09/08/murali-harmony-cup-in-the-north-launched-by-mahela-and-sanga/ AND http://thuppahis.com/2011/04/12/sangakkaras-visit-st-patricks-college-jaffna/