Minister to bear travel costs of 18-member SL team

Netball tournament in Zambia

He said the programme will be carried out by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) on the instructions of Minister Premadasa

Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa gave a pledge to the 18-member Sri Lanka National Netball team that he would foot the bill of their travelling expenses to Zambia where an international Netball competition is scheduled to be held in May.

The total cost of the return tickets to Zambia was estimated to be Rs. 42 million. Minister Premadasa said that he along with some friends in the corporate sector would bare the cost of travel on behalf of the team.

Minister Premadasa has also launched a Social Responsibility programme to donate houses to up and coming sportsmen and women, those who have already excelled in local or overseas sports events and won medals and certificates, a spokesman of the Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Ministry said yesterday.

He said the programme will be carried out by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) on the instructions of Minister Premadasa.

Houses have been already been gifted to a number of athletes who won medals at international sports competitions. Minister Premadasa said he believes that sportsmen and women will be in a better mental state to compete and train if they have an abode of their own.athletes who have been beneficiaries of the minister’s kindness have told him that it was a great relief to them and vowed to bring more glory to their motherland.

The latest donation under this programme was made on Thursday when Minister Premadasa donated 12 houses to members of the Sri Lanka National Netball team that won the Asian Netball Championship in Singapore in 2018.

Angampora – a native martial art – competitor Ajantha Perera also received a house at the function held at ‘Sayurapura’ NHDA Housing Scheme in Angulana, Moratuwa. All houses are worth over Rs. 3 million each.

The house donation ceremony was attended by Mrs. Jalani Premadasa, Ministry Secretary Bernard Wasantha and Chairman NHDA, Shantha Kahawala.