The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways (CCCP) continued to build grassroots cricketing talent in Sri Lanka by commencing the Super Camp here in Colombo. The Super Camp took place at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) on 19 September 2014 and provided intense training for 60 of the most talented young cricketers from 300 participants of season four of the CCCP programme. Conducted in partnership with Coca-Cola Sri Lanka, the Aravinda de Silva Foundation, Sri Lanka Cricket, and the Sri Lanka School Cricket Association, this Super Camp developed the cricketing skills of the young cricketers and provided them with world-class training on all aspects of the game.
Shamal Gunawardene –Country Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited, Aravinda de Silva - Administrator, Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways, and Shantha Fernando, Marketing Operations Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives, Coca-Cola Far East Limited were present to launch the Super Camp and wish the players.
The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways provide a platform for young cricketers from across the country to showcase their talent and learn cricketing skills from some of the country’s top coaches and past cricketers.
Through a series of 20 competitive matches, the 60 participants were placed in four separate groups to ensure that they play a minimum of three matches each and receive optimal exposure. Adhering to international standards, the Super Camps are conducted in the form of limited-over matches, and provide participants with the opportunity to play competitively against the best young cricketers from across the island. They take place under the watchful eyes of the national coaches and national junior selectors.
Commenting on this year’s Super Camp, Abhishek Jugran, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Sri Lanka and Maldives stated, “Coca-Cola is committed to encouraging and supporting healthy, active lifestyles in communities across the world. The Cricket Pathways camps provide youngsters from all parts of the country with the opportunity to train and hone their cricketing skills. This Super Camp brought together the best young cricketers from season four and enabled them to showcase their talents. We hope that through such initiatives, we can encourage youngsters to be active, stay fit and play sports at the national level.”
Commenting on the importance of the Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways camps, Aravinda de Silva, Chairman, Aravinda de Silva Foundation stated, “For the Super Camp, we pick players from all the camps and create a competitive forum where we can identify the most talented players. The Super Camp is important because it helps us find the best young players from the entire season and groom them further. The youngsters also received the opportunity to learn from the best coaches in the country.
A wealth of expertise is provided at the camps via specialized training in all aspects of the game, including batting, bowling, fielding, wicket keeping and specialized physical fitness training methods. Most importantly, we taught the players how to develop mental strength which is one of the most important aspects of the game. Additionally the recognition the young cricketers received at the camps, enabled them to build their confidence and harness their full potential. I would like to thank Sri Lanka Cricket and the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association for the big contribution that they have made to the programme.”
Through the Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways camps, a team of veteran cricketers and coaches led by Aravinda de Silva and Australian coach Stan Nell, help young cricketers rectify any issues they have pertaining to bowling, batting and fielding. The cricketers receive guidance; intense, practical training and a report to help their own school coaches further develop their skills.
The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways programme was launched in 2008 to help identify and train aspiring young cricketers at a grassroots level, grooming them to play at a professional level and even for the Sri Lankan national team. The programme is conducted in the form of camps which are held under the patronage of cricketing legend Aravinda de Silva, with able support from the provincial and district coaches. The camps help discover cricketing talent from across the entire country including many of Sri Lanka’s most rural areas. These participants then receive training in both the practical and technical aspects of the game in the space of three days. The Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways programme reaffirms Coca-Cola Sri Lanka’s commitment to support grassroots cricket in the country whilst encouraging healthy, active lifestyles amongst the youth of the country.
