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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

08th September 2016 18:37:17 Hours

Commander Gives a Piece of Advice to School Badminton Players

“You all as budding school sportsmen and women across the country have strength and capacity to make the country proud by winning more and more medals in badminton. Your final objective must be to bring an Olympic medal home. You need to keep in mind that it is the discipline that drives you to victory,” was the piece of advice given by the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva when he attended the inaugural ceremony of the National Badminton Tournament of the National Sports Festival this morning (5) as the Chief Guest at the Sri Lanka Badminton Headquarters, Colombo 7. 

Nearly 200 school badminton players (male and female) at provincial level but of national standards were present at the Sri Lanka Badminton Headquarters to begin the tournament which will continue until 7 September. Chairman, Executive Board Members of NBF, coaches, teachers and a few parents were present, together with tournament participants to listen to the Commander. At the entrance, Chairman, Sri Lanka Badminton Headquarters, Mr Suraj Dandeniya and Ms Preethi Illeperuma of the Ministry of Sports formally welcomed the day’s Chief Guest before he was conducted to the main hall where the players were sitting. 

In his brief address to the inauguration of the tournament, the Commander as the Chief Guest told the players that if they were to become righteous men and women in society, the life should be disciplined and that discipline would make you face any challenges. Army personnel are trained in this manner to endure any hardship, be it in the battle or elsewhere. That is the success of life. He also urged them to commit to the sustained training and reach high goals. 

Mr Niluka Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s Badminton Representative to the Olympics and a gathering of sports fans attended the start of the badminton tournament.