Los Angeles Now A Hive Of Activity (09 Apr 1996)

Los Angeles Now A Hive Of Activity A cricket tour that nearly became a non event

Los Angeles has become a hive of activity to welcome the World Cup winning Sri Lankan cricketing heroes when they arrive there for two games on April 20 and 21.

Cosmas Mahagama, publisher of the fast selling `THE LANKAN TRIBUNE` and its Editor, Philip Fernando have informed me that cricketing folklore will be on display when the Lankan cricketers do their thing in LA.

UNTRUTHS

A little known fact of this tour is that at one stage this programme nearly became a non event because faxes with untruths and half truths did the rounds from LA to the Cricket Board.

Contents of these faxes which were baseless alleged that the organisers were selling tickets for the two matches at exorbitant rates and were hoping to pocket the collections made.

Now nothing can be further from the truth.

when these faxes arrived President of the Cricket Board Upali Dharmadasa had requested the organisers in LA to increase their guarantee money from the originally agreed US$ 10 thousand to US$ 25 thousand; otherwise the tour would be cancelled.

SURPRISE

This order by the head of the CB took the organisers by surprise. But with the CB being adamant the organisers not wanting to deprive the thousands of sports fans in and around LA from watching the world champions in action did not hesitate to agree to the second request by the CB.

At the time of writing this money would be safely on its way to the CB.

All this animosity would not have cropped up had the contents of the faxes been ignored.

CHALLENGE

But Mahagama having been a former Sri Lankan basketball captain revels in a challenge. And the challenge of increasing the guarantee money he accepted and at the time of writing, the tour which was at one time in the balance is now safely on course.

Mahagama and his hard working committee comprising Dr. Cyril Ernest, Philip Fernando, Merryl Dunuwille, Mervyn Peiris, Bryce Jamie, Chandra Mohan and Nimal Abeywardene are working round the clock to see that this tour is a resounding success.

GOOD THINGS

Mahagama says that they are paying for the contingents two way tickets and looking after their stay and many other good things are being lined up for them.

He also explained that whatever extra moneys collected would be credited to the Cricket Fund 2000. `This is certainly not a money making project for ourselves`, he explained.

In fact the organisers have invited Upali Dharmadasa to come and see for himself.

Source:: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)