Sri Lankan cricketers and netballers did their bit to bring joy to a nation struggling with its worst economic crisis.
The national cricket team showed tremendous fight to defeat favourites Pakistan in the final of Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dubai after the women's team were crowned the Asian Netball champions following a 63-53 victory over hosts Singapore on Sunday.
While the netball team's success crept under the radar, the Asia Cup T20 triumph captured the imagination of the Lankans.
Charith Senanayake, the former Sri Lanka opener and manager who oversaw their campaign in the UAE as chairman of the Asia Cup technical committee, said the inspiration behind the cricket team's journey was aragalaya – meaning 'struggle' in Sinhala.
“The original intent of the aragalaya was to stand up against corruption and for people to fight for their rights, and the whole country backed up the struggle and it rubbed off on our cricketers,” Senanayake told The National.
“Our cricketers felt what the people of Sri Lanka were going through. That motivated the players to give 200 per cent when they were out there on the field.
“It has a massive impact on the players and every time they went out to play, they played with the intention of bringing a smile to 22 million Sri Lankans.”
Sri Lanka’s revival began during Australia’s tour to their shores with the home country winning the ODIs 3-2 and drawing the two Tests 1-1, while they lost T20 series 2-1. That was followed by a 1-1 draw against Pakistan in a two Test series.
“When Australia toured, the country was at a complete standstill with various issues like lack of fuel, power cuts and long queues to purchase essentials. Yet people filled the stadiums to back our cricketers,” Senanayake said.
“There was a lot of emotions among the players, and it created a new bonding to collectively give their best to put a smile on the faces of the people.”
Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup campaign began with a heavy defeat to Afghanistan in the opener, but the islanders bounced back to win all their remaining games to end up as champions.
“It was a great team effort with everyone from seasoned players to freshers chipping in with valuable contributions,” Senanayake said.
“A lot of good work has been done by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the selectors, who backed the players by providing them a long run to establish themselves. They picked the right combinations for every competition.”
According to Senanayake, a lot of work had gone in the last two years and even during the recent crisis, SLC kept cricket running despite their hardships.
“The domestic competitions were interrupted with the Lanka Premier League postponed. SLC arranged a [invitational] tournament to provide the players opportunity to play,” he explained.
“That was the platform given for these players. Kushal Mendis found his form back in this competition and it also gave the selectors a good look to find the right combinations.”
Sri Lanka will be hoping to take the momentum of their Asia Cup success into next month’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
However, they will have to play in a qualifier to book their place in the main competition, which Senanayake said would give the team a nice prep ahead of the main competition.
“The credit for this team’s revival must go to SLC and all the local coaches for bringing such talent to the table,” Senanayake added.
Asia Cup 2022 team of the tournament
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company%20profile
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The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Bullet%20Train
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
