Australian High Commission
Colombo
MEDIA RELEASE
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16 November 2010
Australia supports sports organisations in the north and east
The Australian High Commissioner, HE Kathy Klugman, today presented an Australian Sports Outreach Program grant to ZOA Refugee Care Sri Lanka to help support 25 grassroots sports organisations in north and east Sri Lanka.
ZOA Refugee Care’s project will help local sports organisations to deliver youth sports and coaching events in Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts. Organisations will be given coaching sessions on various sports, as well as necessary equipment, culminating in a sports tournament at the end of the project.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, Ms Klugman said “sport plays an important part in Sri Lankan life and, importantly, it has also proven to be a useful tool in promoting social understanding, particularly amongst the youth”. Ms Klugman said that as a nation of keen sportsmen and women, Australia was proud to provide assistance of this type.
The primary aim of the ASOP grants scheme is to increase community participation in sport and physical activity and, where appropriate, provide a vehicle for addressing broader community issues such as health promotion and social cohesion. ASOP complements Australia’s larger overseas development assistance program in Sri Lanka, which is expected to be 5.15billion Rs ($46 million) in 2010/11.