2nd Coaching Camp at Mankulam Wraps Up With Heartwarming Stories Being Told

Following the success of the first sports coaching camp held in Mankulam between 2nd and 5th June 2011, the Foundation of Goodness was determined to make another quick visit to the North in order to address the alarming findings that were revealed on the previous trip.  On 24th and 25th June, the Foundation of Goodness Sports coaching team headed back to Mankulam.

This time around they went to Mankulam bearing gifts for all participants. These included two training kits per person and a pair of sports shoes. The children who came for sports practices wearing their school trousers that got torn out in no time and those who did not participate in sports simply because they didn’t have proper sports clothing to wear, did no longer feel the need to keep away from the sports coaching camp. A total of 85 students received sports training kits and shoes, this way.

Breakdown of students who attended the sports training clinic:

As these children embraced gifts with both arms in heartfelt gratitude that they could not express in words, their bright eyes twinkled with hope for a better future. Some students were quick to confess their deep rooted feelings. They said “never in our wildest imagination did we think that we will ever be able to play a sport and enjoy ourselves in an open field let alone, wear something like this”.

Battered to no extent with a war that ravaged and stole the beauty of their childhood, these children and adolescents are now slowly building back their self confidence and aspiration to live a good life.  For children who earlier counted the days until they got shot out in the open, or feared losing their parents and family; what stands as a challenge now is to excel at sports.

Not only are these children provided with training kits, they are also supplied all necessary sporting gear to ensure that they do not injure themselves while practicing. Additionally, as a measure to ensure that children have enough nutrition to get through the trainings, drinking milk is distributed during sports training clinics for all participants.

Anura De Silva, Director Sports at the Foundation of Goodness says, “I have no doubt that we will have a few cricketers joining us from Mankulam next year around to visit Malaysia for KAF Malaysian International tournament representing the Foundation of Goodness under 15 Cricket Academy”.

“Practice puts your brains in your muscles”

~Sam Snead

12.07.2011