Australian High Commission
Colombo
3 October 2012
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Australian Women’s T20 team plays cricket with the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind
Ahead of their ICC Women’s World T20 semi-finals appearance, the visiting Australian Women’s cricket team took time out to conduct a brief coaching clinic and play a friendly match with children from the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind.
Around three hundred children came along to meet the defending champions. The event was jointly organised by the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind and the Australian High Commission in Colombo.
Australian High Commissioner, HE Ms Robyn Mudie, said, “Among the many links Australia and Sri Lanka share, cricket is one of the highlights. Australia strongly supports the involvement of women and girls in sport as a way of promoting equality and empowerment. So it’s great to see our team here with another inspiring group – the children from the School for the Deaf and Blind.”
Australian Team Captain Jodie Fields said it was great to be able to take a break from training and meet the local children.
“Cricket is such a huge part of life here in Sri Lanka and to be able to share some of our skills and stories with these kids is just fantastic. A few of us had a go at batting without being able to see and there is a definite skill to it, a few of the girls were clean bowled by some of the kids out there, it was very impressive,” she said.
“This school is a great example of the fact that cricket shows no boundaries and anyone can get out and play and enjoy the game we all love,” Fields added.
Executive Director of the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind, Commodore Mendis, said, “This was a great opportunity for our children to meet and interact with the Australian women’s cricket team. The children were thrilled. It was a good gesture by the Australian High Commission to arrange this event and we too did everything possible to make it a roaring success.”
The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind provides education, vocational training, food and lodging, healthcare, and recreational facilities for around 700 children. A registered charity, it provides these services free of charge. Established 100 years ago, it was the first school of its kind in Sri Lanka.
The Australian High Commission supported the School for the Deaf and Blind at Ratmalana to completely overhaul its kitchen facilities in early 2012 under the Australian Government’s Direct Aid Program, which assists local organisations seeking to reduce poverty in their communities.
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