Army Angampora Players Make Their Debut in Kataragama

Sri Lanka Army Angampora players, trained at the newly-established Angampora Experiment Institute and Training Centre (AEITC) at Panagoda Army Cantonment after its recent induction made their debut in the Kataragama sacred precincts and prayed for their forward-march in the presence of a large gathering of devotees and spectators on Sunday (30).

The symbolic offerings to the Buddha and the God Skanda at Kataragama were made at first at Kirivehera and the Devala premises before 130 Army-produced Angampora players staged their first public appearance in front of the Basnayaka Nilame at Kataragama Devalaya, Mr Dilruwan Rajapaksa, Major General Niyshshanka Ranawana, Chairman of Army Angampora Committee, Lieutenant Colonel Ravindra Jayasinghe, Secretary, Army Angampora Committee, Angampora Chief Instructor and Angampora Students.

The notion of institutionalizing this age-old Angampora martial art, quite particular to this country was made a reality by the incumbent Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake in early December 2018 when he established the AEITC at Panagoda during an induction (Kala Elimangalya) display of Army Angampora players for the first time in the Army history before a large gathering.

‘Angampora’, a martial art that dates back to the times of Sri Lankan royalties has been locally used as a particular self-defensive fighting technique, endowed with different characteristics, such as astrology, meditation, medical methods, sorcery, illusory tricks, etc and was practised exclusively by our royalties to resist foreign invaders who also during colonial times prohibited the practice of this ‘Angampora’ in the country since they feared its operational aspect.

The establishment of this special wing was a result of a proposal made by Major General Niyshshanka Ranawana, Chairman of the Army Angampora Committee and Director General General Staff (DGGS) after the former Commander of the Army General Crishanthe De Silva (Retd) initially introduced the concept of reviving this age-old technique of self-defence again in the Army early in January 2017.Sports brands | Women's Nike Superrep