The inaugural National Kids Athletics Competition 2017 sponsored by the Nestle Lanka PLC will be worked off in two phases, on March 25 (grade three) at the Maris Stella College, Negombo and on March 30 (grade four) at the Rathnapura Public Ground with the participation of around 3000 students representing 74 Zones. This was revealed to the media during a press briefing headed by the Education Minister Akhila Viraj Kariyawasam at the JAIC Hilton, Colombo recently.
The Education Ministry has launched this programme, based on the ‘Four F’ concept, Fun, Fitness, Fundamental and Friendship to provide much needed physical activities to the children of 9, 10 and 11 years old, the age categories identified as the best stages to enhance one’s physical capabilities.
This will also serve as a talent search where sporting skills of children will be recognized at a tender age, so they can be directed in the respective sporting disciplines from the beginning.
The ‘Kids Athletics’ team sports programme was initiated in 2015 focusing primary students in grade 3, 4 and 5. In 2016 competitions were conducted in 222 divisions, 74 Zones and six Provinces with the participation of 175,000 students. Winning schools of Zonal level representing all provinces will be seen in action at the fist ever national level competitions.
Explaining the two-day programme, Education Ministry’s Project Officer Milroy Jayamanne said that the first day (March 25) event for grade three students will have around 2000 children competing in five team events under the watchful eyes of 125 officials while the Rathnapura event for grade four students will include 1000 children competing in seven team events with 167 officials.
“There is no mechanism in pre-schools for physical activities. But now we are going to implement this new initiative, Kids Athletics with a scientific approach at primary school level.
We have also taken steps to allocate 25 minutes daily for fun activities in school time tables island-wide. We hope to introduce Kids Athletics programme to each and every school in 2017, covering all 98 zones as this will be the foundation for future national sports,” Jayamanne concluded.
Special Advisor to the Education Ministry on Sports, Sunil Jayaweera elaborating the importance of this programme thanked Nestle Lanka for stepping into shoulder this task, apart from their seven other commitments to school sports. Jayaweera said that around 2,000,000 out of the total number of 4,500,000 school student population are between 5 to 13 years of age and in almost every country, Kids Athletics programme has become mandatory for 5 to 13 years-old students.
“We want to spread this programme to all schools in the country as this will be the base for future sporting champions. It is essential to identify sporting talent at a tender age and provide them with good techniques and guidance from the start to produce an international champion,” he explained.
Education Ministry secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi praised Nestle Lanka for their contribution for school sports over the past 30 years and said that with the new reforms to Sri Lankan education system, sports has been recognized as a vital aspect of character building and well being of a person.
So we want to encourage all students to take up to sports. As we are aiming at 2024 Olympics we have to focus on young generation who will be greatly benefited by this kind of programmes, he said.
Nestle Lanka PLC Managing Director Shivani Hegde told that they are happy to be stakeholders of this programme while strengthening their long term partnership with school sports.
“We have launched a programmed in 2010 to raise awareness among school children on nutrition which became a great success and now we consider this Kids Athletics programme a big leap in school sports, Shivani stated.
Education Minster Akhila Viraj Kariyawasam in his speech emphasized the importance of sports in education system as it play a vital role in moulding a well balanced citizen. “Flexibility, balance, teamwork, perseverance, leadership, quick decision making are some qualities which sports has in abundance and also key ingredients of a making a great citizen.
With that in mind, we have introduced many reforms to our education system. We are no more an exam centralized education system. With this kind of programmes we want to see a progressive movement in our education system. We are into a five-year programme to revolutionize our education system”, the minister revealed.
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