‘DADA’ IS FINE»SEE PAGE 7

MILLENNIUMIT CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY»SEE PAGE 4

MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM

COVID-19

THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED UP UNTIL 10.00 P.M. ON 3 JANUARY 2021 SOURCE: HEALTH PROMOTION BUREAU

ACTIVE CASES

7,31144,774

TOTAL CASES

DEATHS RECOVERED

213 37,252

BY HIRANYADA DEWASIRI

Certain lecturers from national colleges of education have been attempting to “scare off” diploma holders from partaking in a protest scheduled to be conducted today (4) at 10 a. m., the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) alleged.

Speaking to The Morning yesterday (3), CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said: “Threats are being circulated that these diploma holders will not receive their formal appointments in time if they take part in the protest. These are hollow threats.”

The CTSU protest, which will be held in front of Isurupaya today, is to demand the assignment of schools for teachers based on the criteria through which they were admitted to national colleges of education and protest the Ministry’s alleged failure to make these appointments before 31 December 2020 as promised.

Contd. on page 2

Lecturers ‘scaring off ’ students

TEACHER APPOINTMENTS

»SEE PAGE 5

HEALTH,VITALITY,

ANDIMMUNITYFOR 2021

Free pads for 800,000 students within this year

The Ministry of Education is planning to provide free sanitary napkins to approximately 800,000 schoolchildren through a three-stage project this year, with priority to be given to schoolchildren in rural areas, according to the Ministry.

Speaking to The Morning, Media Secretary to the Ministry of Education Buddhika Wickramadara said that this is part of its Health and Nutrition Programme, and the priority given to rural schools, is due to them facing greater issues with the affordability and accessibility of sanitary napkins.

“The programme would then focus on mid-level schools. Finally, the provision of free sanitary napkins to urban schools would be discussed. However, we hope to provide free sanitary napkins to all schoolchildren who need them before the end of this year,” he said.

Wickramadara fur ther stated that the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) would be monitoring the implementation of this programme in each district.

According to Wickramadara, a few Sri Lankan companies that produce sanitary napkins have already approached the Ministry of Education to provide these products at a low cost, but no company has been selected yet.

“We are cautious, since we do not want to provide low-quality sanitary napkins to schoolchildren.

We would be consulting the Health Ministry before proceeding,” he said.When questioned on the distribution process of sanitary napkins to the children, Wickramadara said that initial discussions have not yet covered the topic.

Contd. on page 2

z Several local companies express interest

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU HELMETS...

A former tourist driver, now deprived of work due to the absence of tourists, making an alternate living by guarding the helmets of motorcyclists visiting Galle Face Green and the nearby shopping mallPHOTO SAMAN ABESIRIWARDANA

The Government is planning to facilitate the arrival of 2,580 tourists from Russia, Ukraine, and other regional countries by 19 January based on the success of the tourism reopening pilot project so far, according to Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga.

“We kicked-off this pilot programme last week and we have already had a good response from tourists as well as the people who work in the tourism industry, as most of the drivers and tourist guides have also

given their support towards it.”However, the Government has come under

heavy fire from the Opposition for the manner in which it has conducted the pilot project, with allegations about violations of health protocols.

The selection of Ukraine for the pilot project has also been criticised, as the Eastern European country with a population of 42 million people passed the one million mark for Covid-19-positive cases shortly before Christmas.

The Ukrainean Prime Minister plans to impose

tight nationwide lockdowns this month to stop the rapid spread of the virus. Furthermore, while Sri Lanka has banned travel from the UK following the detection of a new and potentially more dangerous variant of Covid-19 being detected in the country, Ukraine is yet to ban travel from the UK. The locations and activities to be offered to the expected influx of Russian tourists have already been identified by the Ministry.

“We have identified 12 locations where

tourists can visit, which are Sri Dalada Maligawa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Minneriya National Park, Yala National Park, Horton Plains National Park, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Udawalawe National Park, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Royal Botanical Gardens, and Peradeniya, and they can indulge in whale-watching and shopping at Salu Sala,” Ranatunga told The Morning yesterday (3).

Contd. on page 2

Over 2,500 tourists coming from Russiaz Tourism Minister buoyant despite Ukraine flak

BY PAMODI WARAVITA

The number of mental health interventions conducted via the 1926 national mental health helpline had doubled from its 2019 full-year figure in the first 11 months of 2020, jumping from 13,000 to nearly 26,000.

Speaking to The Morning, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) consultant psychiatrist Dr. Pushpa Ranasinghe said the number of interventions totalled 25,965 in 2020,

which is almost double the number of 13,092 interventions in 2019.

“During the first lockdown period from March to June, we conducted over 9,000 interventions,” she said.

2020 was a year marred by unprecedented nationwide lockdowns resulting from the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Ranasinghe revealed that the NIMH recorded 4,100 interventions during March 2020, with the earlier monthly average being around 1,500.

Contd. on page 2

z Alcohol-related calls go down

z Suicide, relationship-related calls nearly tripled

Calls to mental health hotline double in 2020

The famous “Coconut Triangle” – the area between Puttalam, Kurunegala, and Colombo, from which a major part of Sri Lanka’s coconut production originates – has now been shifted due to urbanisation and industrialisation, according to the Coconut Development Authority (CDA).

Speaking to The Morning yesterday (3), CDA Acting Director of Processing Development P. Edirimanne told that the Coconut Triangle has been shifted to Chilaw, Gampaha, and Dambulla.

“This is due to the impact of industrialisation. Most of the coconut fields have been destroyed due to urbanisation

and the rapid population growth.”Sri Lanka’s coconut harvest

has dwindled over the years, and the country has to import processed coconuts to produce pure virgin coconut oil, according to Edirimanne. “The total annual coconut production in the island ranges from 3,000 to 3,085 million nuts, according to CDA statistics in 2019, and consumption of coconuts is 150 million per month. Domestic demand for coconuts in Sri Lanka is around 100 million,” he said.

According to the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), Sri Lanka was the fourth largest exporter of coconut products to the world as of 2017.

Contd. on page 2

Coconut triangle ‘relocated’

The Ministry of Education has not arrived at a decision regarding the use of Air Force personnel to teach mathematics and IT in rural schools, despite reports to the contrary on certain websites and social media, The Morning learnt.

Responding to our inquiries, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera said yesterday (3) that the idea of deploying Air Force personnel to teach in rural schools was merely a suggestion made by Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana.

“The Air Force Commander made this suggestion while he was seated next to me. It has not even progressed to the discussion stage yet,” Prof. Perera said.

Contd. on page 2

No decision on Air Force teachers

Medical activists want cannabis law relaxedBY SUMUDU CHAMARA

A group of indigenous medical activists has called for the relaxation of local laws pertaining to cannabis in light of the decision taken by the United Nations Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND) to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

Contd. on page 2

BY DINITHA RATHNAYAKE

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has admitted that there have been shortcomings in the ongoing tourism pilot project which brought tourists from Ukraine, and that it will hold a meeting with Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga today (4) to rectify the issues.

“The tourism industry has to be opened somehow and therefore, it was decided that it could be done through a pilot project. But the agreement was to follow proper health guidelines. We provided the guidelines to all the organisers and hotels. Unfortunately, we saw through social media that when

it came to practical implementation, there were shortcomings. Within tomorrow (today), we will have a discussion with the Minister and all the organisers of the tour,” SLTDA Director General Dhammika Wijesinghe told The Morning yesterday (3).

Wijesinghe said that a protocol was

issued for the first group of Ukrainian tourists before arriving, where all security was guaranteed, and the plan

was to have a bio-bubble, isolated from the outside world. She added that in the SLTDA protocol, five hotels

with all the safety measures in place were suggested, but only four of the suggested hotels had been utilised, with the other being ignored by the tour operators. When asked as to who is to blame for the alleged violations of health protocols and quarantine regulations, Wijesinghe said that this was not the time to place blame.

“We accept that there were shortcomings. But what we should do now is not point fingers at anyone. We can’t keep the tourism industry closed forever. We must fix the wrongs and move forward.”

However, speaking to The Morning

yesterday, Minister Ranatunga said the local response to the pilot project had been positive.

“We kicked-off this pilot programme last week and we have already had a good response from tourists and the people who work in the tourism industry, as most of the drivers and the tourist guides have also given their support to it.”

Meanwhile, a group of drivers who took the visiting Ukrainian tourists on a safari in Yala complained that they have not been informed beforehand about a 14-day mandatory quarantine which they have to undergo following the safari.

Contd. on page 2

z Meeting today with Tourism Minister

TOURISM PILOT PROJECT

SLTDA admits protocol breachedz DG says guidelines not followed

Ukrainian tourists at the airport on arrival in to Sri Lanka

No decision...He stressed that the Ministry of Education

has not received any official requests in this regard from the Air Force.

However, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-affiliated Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe told The Morning that vacancies in the teaching service should be filled with professional teachers.

“It is wrong to appoint the military or people from other services to fill those vacancies. The military and teachers have their own respective duties, and these duties shouldn’t be confused,” noted Jayasinghe.

Speaking to The Morning, Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that students from rural schools deserve trained teachers.

“About 1,200 teachers were appointed to national schools instead of being appointed to rural schools that need teachers. Rural schools have vacancies because the Ministry of Education lacks a placement policy,” he stated.

Meanwhile, noting that the CTSU has not received any official communications regarding the use of Air Force personnel to teach at rural schools, CTSU General Secretary Jayasinghe emphasised that the CTSU would vehemently oppose any such move, as the military’s duty is to handle matters such as national security and not teaching.

“If the military can be deployed for everything, we don’t need separate services; the military could do everything. We have special services because individuals have been trained with a special set of skills. Just because someone knows English, they cannot teach English without being trained to do so.”

When asked about teachers awaiting school appointments, Prof. Perera said that those teachers would receive their appointments first, and other suggestions would be considered only if there are any vacancies left.

“Air Force personnel were suggested to be used as teachers only in rural schools where professional teachers are reluctant to be appointed to,” he said.

A total of 3,772 diploma holders from the National Colleges of Education, who completed their exams in March 2020, are set to receive

their school appointments by 15 January, according to the Ministry of Education.

– Hiranyada Dewasiri

Medical activists...They added that the Government must pay

attention to this matter, taking into account the astronomical number of benefits of cannabis, especially medical and economic benefits of the controlled cultivation of cannabis.

“We are planning on discussing this matter with the Government and raising awareness among parliamentarians who are willing to support this endeavour in a bid to draw the Government’s attention to relaxing the laws banning the cultivation and use of cannabis. Not only the medical community, the public would also benefit from it,” former Ayurvedic Medical Council of Sri Lanka Registrar and Advisor for the Samastha Lanka Indigenous Medical Association Danister L. Perera told The Morning yesterday (3).

He added that only a small part of a cannabis plant could be used for recreational purposes.

“It has been scientifically and medically proven that only certain parts of the cannabis plant, especially its resin, can be used for recreational purposes, and other parts of this plant can be used to manufacture a number of various other products that will benefit the general public.”

He went on to say that cannabis could be cultivated very easily in Sri Lanka.

According to Perera, even though discussions have been conducted in this regard for many years, so far they have not received a positive response from the relevant authorities.

He said that existing restrictions on cannabis, imposed by the British in 1929 in Sri Lanka, are outdated and that many countries across the world have lifted such archaic bans and moved forward. Perera also stressed that the benefits of the cannabis plant will outweigh potential harms caused by the recreational use of cannabis, if cannabis cultivation is done properly.

In 2001, Canada legalised the use of

cannabis for medicinal purposes, becoming the first country in the world to do so. To date, more than 50 countries have permitted the medicinal use of cannabis, while several other countries and a number of US States have legalised the recreational use of cannabis.

When it comes to Sri Lankan laws and policies concerning cannabis, several governments including the present one have paid attention to this matter to a certain extent. In 2018, former Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratne announced plans to allow the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes and for export purposes.

Incumbent Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardena also emphasised the importance of growing cannabis in a controlled environment for export purposes. However, none of these plans have materialised.

Coconut... Among the most popular Sri Lankan

coconut exports to the global market are desiccated coconut, virgin coconut oil, and coconut water, while the country’s bristle fibre products manufactured through indigenous “drum” extraction method and activated carbon made with coconut shells are also in high demand.

– Dinitha Rathnayake

SLTDA admits...However, Wijesinghe noted that this safari

was also conducted against the agreed protocol as the said drivers were not the ones who were supposed to be used for the safari.

Providing an update on the health situation of the Ukraine tourists, she added that six members of the first 180-member group initially tested positive for the virus. However, only five are being treated at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Hospital as the report of one patient returned negative after a second PCR.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Morning, Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Dr. Harsha de Silva alleged that health protocols have been violated from the outset.

“From the start, rules were bent or adjusted to accommodate the Ukrainian tourist project which is being termed a ‘pilot’ project. The Ministry of Health reduced the mandatory quarantine period from 14 to seven and then agreed that the tourists could visit identified places if their first PCR tests returned a negative result in a biosecure bubble. Why can’t we bring people from countries which are least affected?”

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa too blasted the Government for bringing down tourists from Ukraine.

The Eastern European country with a population of 42 million people passed the one million mark for Covid-19-positive cases shortly before Christmas. Ukrainean Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal plans to impose tight nationwide lockdown from 8-24 January to stop the rapid spread of the virus.

Furthermore, while Sri Lanka has banned travel from the UK, following the detection of a new and potentially more dangerous variant of Covid-19 being detected in the country, Ukraine is yet to ban travel from the UK.

The pilot project is set to end on 19 January and the Government plans to bring in over

2,500 tourists under the project from Russia, Ukraine, and other countries in the region.

Lecturers...Responding to questions about the career

security of diploma holders, as they are not trade union members yet due to not having received their appointments, Jayasinghe claimed that the CTSU will be taking full responsibility for the safety of the participants and that one need not be a trade union member to protest.

“The diploma holders are protesting precisely because they have not received their appointments yet.”

When contacted by The Morning on 30 December, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera said that a total of 3,772 diploma holders from national colleges of education, who completed their exams in March 2020, are set to receive their formal school appointments by 15 January.

However, speaking to The Morning yesterday, Jayasinghe said that they have not received any official communications from the Ministry regarding any such new date.

“We requested a discussion with the Ministry on 14 December, but we have been given a discussion yet.”

Speaking to The Morning, Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that the CTU will not be joining the protest today since they have not received an invitation. However, he said the CTU supports the demands of the diploma holders.

Calls to mental...“The increased number of mental health

interventions is a direct result of the pandemic,” said Dr. Ranasinghe.

She added that even without a lockdown, people are facing more financial and relationship problems during the pandemic, which can affect their mental health.

Meanwhile, the NIMH has categorised 418 of these 25,965 interventions as related to “suicidal ideation”, an increase from the corresponding total of 152 in 2019. Likewise, interventions related to relationship problems increased to 1,756 in 2020 from 688 in 2019.

However, Dr. Ranasinghe said the number of alcohol-related interventions were 377 by November 2020, compared to the total 460 interventions in 2019 – likely a result of decreased access to alcohol products due to lockdowns and economic hardship.

Dr. Ranasinghe also said the total number of calls received to the helpline may have been double or triple the amount of interventions the NIMH conducted, but that they are unable to respond to all the calls they receive.

The NIMH has received 619 text messages to the 1926 text-based helpline in the three months following its introduction in October 2020.

“We saw a sharp increase in youth seeking help via text message during the period that the Advanced Level (A/L) examination results were released,” Dr. Ranasinghe said. She added that the 1926 text-based helpline is mostly used by 15-17-year-old youth seeking help on a range of issues, from relationship issues and sexual problems to stress-related problems during exams.

Dr. Ranasinghe also added that the 1926 text-based helpline is more easily accessible to victims of domestic violence who are

living with their abusers and wish to seek help privately without raising suspicion.

The national mental health helpline is accessible via 1926 toll-free. The 1926-

text based helpline is also available 24/7 to anyone seeking help.

Over 2,500...Ranatunga added that related ministries

have been given the responsibility of co-ordinating the logistics and health arrangements, such as the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation for the national parks.

“The relevant ministries have been given the responsibility of the places where foreigners are expected to visit since more flights carrying tourists are expected to arrive in the coming days under the programme. The tourists will be subjected to PCR tests before and after entering the country and would be part of a bio-bubble, isolated from the outside world.”

He added that even private tour operators could benefit from this project.

“People who are interested in bringing tourists to the country can make a request to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) where they also can be a part of this programme,” Ranatunga added.

Russia confirmed 3,236,787 cases of Covid-19 and 58,506 deaths as at yesterday. Moscow, Russia’s capital and its worst-hit region, reported a total caseload of 824,979.

– Dinitha Rathnayake

Free pads for... However, he mentioned that several

details related to distribution options need to be discussed, including how many pads would be provided per child and whether distribution would occur at schools or through a coupon-based system that enables children to independently purchase the products.

The Health and Nutrition Programme further hopes to construct toilet facilities in 2,500 selected schools with over 2,000 students. The programme would also look at providing sanitary rooms, in addition to sanitary napkins, to relevant schools.

A United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) survey of adolescent Sri Lankan girls conducted in 2015 with the Government found that more than half of the respondents had to miss school when they were on their period. Additionally, another UN study has found that over 60% of teachers in Sri Lanka thought that menstrual blood is impure.

The provision of free sanitary napkins to all women in Sri Lanka was one of the main campaign pledges of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa during his presidential campaign in 2019, which stirred a heated debate on whether sanitary napkins should be provided free of charge, and whether the subject should even be discussed openly in Sri Lankan society.

In November 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to provide free sanitary products to anyone in need of them, with the introduction of the “Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill”. The Bill states that access to period products must be granted easily and with dignity to all those who need them.

– Pamodi Waravita

the morningMonday, January 4, 2021NEWS

Contd. from page 1

2

Cartoon of the day

BY RUWAN LAKNATH JAYAKODY

The Government is attempting to sow ethnic and racial discord among the various communities through the issue pertaining to the disposal of the Covid-19-positive deceased, alleged the Lawyers Forum for the People (LFP) organisation.

These and other critical sentiments were expressed by members of the LFP including Namal Rajapaksha, Senaka Perera, Achala Seneviratne, Chula Ranjeewa Adikari, Srinath Perera, and Thambiah Jeyaratnarajah, who addressed a media briefing held on 31 December in Colombo.

Rajapaksha claimed that the Government was paying heed to monks with racist views, and using the latter as a policing force to suppress the minorities.

He was also critical of statements made by Government Ministers to the effect that the Tamil National Alliance should be banned, and that the Provincial Councils (PCs) should be abolished. While claiming that this Government opposes the devolution of power, he further noted, however, that the LFP was in favour of devolving both Police and land powers, from the centre of governance to the periphery. “Regardless, the doing away of the PC system is something that should be

done only upon consultation and discussion with India. In the interim, the PCs, the terms of which have lapsed,” he added, “should be re-established, as at present. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is ruling them by bringing their administration under Provincial Governors, as opposed to elected people’s representatives.”

Senaka Perera was also critical of an alleged recent statement to the effect that the photographs of criminal suspects should be publicised via the media.

Perera also raised concerns over the custodial death of a suspect in Veyangoda involving the Police. In this regard, Perera criticised an alleged statement made by a Defence Ministry official in the wake of the recent aforementioned death.

“If a criminal suspect is equated to being akin to a convicted criminal, then there is no requirement for the Judiciary, or for the conduct of a trial,” he noted.

Further, Perera expressed doubts as to whether the report submitted by the

Committee appointed by the Minister of Justice to look into the recent Mahara Prison incident would result in any action.

Pertaining to the latter incident, which claimed the lives of 11 prisoners, Chula Ranjeewa Adikari claimed they had suffered injuries to the upper torso, which he opined was not in keeping with self-defence related gunfire from the Prison staff. Meanwhile, elaborating on the mental trauma inflicted on Muslims owing to the cremation of deceased Covid-19-positive Muslims, Achala Seneviratne noted that various experts and specialists had at various times proffered various views on the matter, further aggravating the problem.

“This is symptomatic of the two-faced approach of the Government concerning the matter,” she claimed.

She also alleged that the so-called independent commissions were entirely partisan now, and in this regard, she specifically mentioned the politicisation of the Office on Missing Persons and the Human Rights Commission.

Further, Seneviratne was critical of the media exposure generated by the Attorney General’s Department, which is an arm of the State, as opposed to the Government. This, she said, was a move

without precedent in the Department’s history. On the other hand, Adikari was of the view that the proposed move to relocate the Justice Ministry to the World Trade Centre would constitute a waste of public expenditure. Also, he queried as to the origin of the fire that recently broke out at the Supreme Court Complex.

Moreover, the State and Governmental promotion of a concoction manufactured locally in syrup form and purported to be a cure for Covid-19, known colloquially as the ‘paniya’, came under fire from Adikari, who claimed that the Government lacked the finances to bring down a vaccine for the purpose. He also warned of another Covid-19 cluster emerging from visiting Ukranian tourists. On a different note, Srinath Perera pointed out that while approximately 700 Muslim youths had been arrested and remanded for months on end in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019, which included both those suspected to have had direct and indirect involvement with the attacks, in his view, the cases of Attorney Hejaaz Hizbullah and poet Ahnaf Jazeem (a poetry collection of whose is suspected by the law enforcement authorities to have promoted extremism) are entirely unjust.

Lawyers accuse Govt. of sowing racial discord

BY SUMUDU CHAMARA

One Indian national died in an explosion that occurred in a metal factory located in the Karabotuwa area in Kotadeniyawa, yesterday (3).

A blockage of the factory’s boiler is suspected to have caused the explosion, stated Police Spokesperson, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Ajith Rohana, adding that the temperature of the boiler rises up to 2,000 degrees Celsius when boiling metal.

According to the Police, the deceased and two other Indian nationals had sustained injuries in the explosion, which took place at around 6.30 a.m., and had been rushed to the Mirigama Hospital immediately. However, one of them had succumbed to injuries

upon admission to the hospital, and the post-mortem was to be held yesterday.

The two injured Indian nationals were later transferred to the Wathupitiwala Hospital, and the Wathupitiwala Hospital Director, Dr. C.N. Bandara told The Morning that at the time of going to press one of them was in critical condition, while the other’s condition was not critical.

The Police have ascertained the identities of the three Indian nationals, and the deceased was a 46-year-old resident of the Bihar State of India, named Jawed Rashid. The Kotadeniyawa Police is conducting further investigations into the incident, and will obtain the opinion of experts in the field as well, the Police Spokesperson added.

One Indian dead in metal factory explosion

the morningMonday, January 4, 2021

3

businessACL Cables PLC stated it has again showcased its strong financial position and brand equity, achieving an (SL)A+ stable credit rating for the fourth consecutive year, according to ICRA Lanka’s recently published ratings outlook.

ACL Cables became the only cable manufacturer in the local industry to register an A+ credit rating, demonstrating the company’s stability and creditworthiness amidst challenging business environments.

The company registered revenue of Rs. 18.8 billion as a group for the financial year ended in March 2020.

A profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 1 billion was also recorded as a group, a 64% increase in comparison to the corresponding period in the previous year.

ICRA Lanka Ltd. is a fully owned subsidiary of ICRA Ltd. of India. The ultimate parent company of the international credit rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service, is the indirect majority shareholder of ICRA.

ACL Cables Managing Director Suren Madanayake said: “We are pleased with the latest credit rating published by ICRA Lanka. Moreover, this is a remarkable achievement, since this is the fourth consecutive year for us to post an (SL)A+ credit

rating. This proves our corporate and financial strength even amidst challenging and volatile conditions. I believe that this will create further business confidence in ACL Cables amongst our shareholders, customers, and all stakeholders.

“Additionally, this milestone is also noteworthy as we are the only cable company to register such an achievement. I like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed towards this task and invite them to stay partnered with ACL in years to come, enjoying the success we have achieved together.”

According to ICRA Lanka, ACL Cables “as a company, and the group as a whole, has been driven by the

rich promoter experience and the strong and experienced management team in place, which have guided the company through several business cycles. The company has a relatively strong corporate structure in place with well-planned management policies and good corporate governance structure. This has ensured the business continuity over the past several decades.”

ACL Cables began operations in 1962 in Kalutara. To date, the company has served the nation for over 58 years with a strong and rich history, providing a plethora of innovative products for its consumers.

ACL Cables receives (SL) A+ ICRA Lanka credit rating

Christic Lanka Polymers (Pvt.) Ltd. became the first Sri Lankan company to simultaneously obtain three Lloyd’s Register accreditations in relation to the yacht and boat manufacturing industry.

The CDP 2169 PT-6, CDP 2146 PT-5 LAMINATING, and CDP 2196-1 certificates were obtained for unsaturated polyresins and gel coat resin for yacht and boat manufacturing, respectively.

Lloyd’s Register is an international provider of classification, compliance, and consultancy services to the marine and offshore industries.

Speaking on the milestone, Christic Lanka Polymers CEO

Srimath Dias Perera stated: “It is a prestigious quality standard, and we are proud of the team for working so hard to deliver the requirements within a short period of time. This will give us a real competitive advantage as we serve our loyal customers.”

Christic Lanka Polymers (Pvt.) Ltd. is an ISO 9001-2016-accredited company that caters to leading boat-builders in Sri Lanka. It reaffirmed that with all necessary certifications, blending unsaturated polyester resins to suit manufacturing methods within Lloyd’s Register approved parameters.

Christic Lanka Polymers obtains Lloyd’s Register accreditations

Commercial Bank of Ceylon became the first Sri Lankan bank to offer banking services on the WhatsApp messaging platform. Commercial Bank’s WhatsApp Banking offers services to both account holders and non-customers, and facilitates opening accounts for those seeking to become customers, the bank said.

Customers can use this facility simply by typing “hi” on WhatsApp and sending the greeting to the designated number, 071 3353353. A set of simple instructions such as entering numerical commands to receive the information they are looking for will follow, and the required information will be shared with the customer after he or she enters a unique one-time password (OTP) sent by the bank via SMS. A simple one-time registration process will be in place to verify the customer’s

identity prior to sharing any sensitive data, ensuring that sensitive data is protected.

Account holders can also access several services including finding out their account balance, viewing account history, or requesting a cheque book,

while both customers and non-customers can ask for fixed deposit (FD) rates and foreign exchange rates, self-register with the ComBank Digital app, or open a new account through the Flash Digital Bank Account.

“More than two billion

people worldwide now use WhatsApp for their messaging needs, and in Sri Lanka it is estimated that more than 6.5 million people use social media,” Commercial Bank Managing Director S. Renganathan said. “The

most popular messaging platforms are therefore the most logical path to enhancing access to services, especially at a time when social distancing has become the norm. WhatsApp Banking does not require the user to be particularly tech-savvy as the app is widely used and familiar to millions of people.”

Earlier this year, ComBank announced the integration of all its online and mobile banking channels on a single omnichannel platform with the launch of “ComBank Digital”, powered by Fiserv, the US-based global provider of financial services technology. The bank also recently upgraded its ePassbook app with new features including self-registration, real-time transaction notifications, and biometric login which led to 100,000 downloads in just four months.

ComBank launches ‘WhatsApp Banking’ facility

Water management company Enviro Water Systems recently selected the Entuition Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system by Bileeta (Pvt.) Ltd. in order to manage their key operations across the country.

The company, which specialises in designing and supplying water and wastewater treatments, recently rolled out the ERP solution to improve visibility into their business processes, enhance decision-making, and support Enviro’s quest for operational excellence in customer fulfillment.

“Due to the current pandemic and the need for clean bacteria-free water, there has been a huge and varied demand for our high-tech water and wastewater systems. But every customer has their unique requirements, placing enormous challenges on our operations,” said Enviro Water Systems Managing Director Surath Senevirathne.

Speaking of their decision to deploy the solution, Senevirathne stated: “The single-most important criteria for selecting the Entution ERP solution was our need for a powerful, proven solution that comprehensively supports service and project management, while still being easy to use.

“The Entution ERP solution will provide us with timely information to help create accurate estimates to win more customers and provide better decision-making to enhance

the management of all projects. The solution is also intended to give better visibility into our turnkey utility projects from its sites across the country, as well as improve operational planning and processing.

“The favourable cost of the solution was another significant motivator for our choice. The fact

that they also offer excellent after-sales support meant that we can rest assured that we will always have the critical data that we need. We are confident that the solution will be a key decision support system for us in the years to come, helping to manage all our projects nationwide.”

Bileeta Director/Chief Technology

Officer Sanka Weerasinghe stated: “Our solution is built to give enhanced scalability and flexibility, and covers every requirement of all the departments of Enviro Water Systems, which demonstrates our flexibility to cater to the business software requirements of companies from diverse industries.”

Bileeta’s Entution ERP solution enabled for water treatment companies

From left: Enviro Water Systems MD Surath Senavirathna exchanging the project agreement with Bileeta Director/CTO Sanka Weeerasinghe and Head of Business Development Benton M. Samuel

Dialog Enterprise, the corporate solutions arm of Dialog Axiata (Pvt.) Ltd., is powering “VDO Meet”, a video-calling platform that enables enterprises to service their customers via a video consultation.

“VDO Meet” will empower users to self-initiate a video call via a link that they can forward to their customers. On clicking the link, customers will be able to virtually meet the service person, further eliminating the risk and necessity of physically meeting. Compatible on any operating system with no prior installation or setting up required, this telecommunication solution can be accessed on any mobile browser, and enables users to

record calls, take screenshots, or view videos that were recorded within 30 days of their calls, with the added option of downloading it on to their own cloud storage if necessary.

The Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly changed the way we access communication in the country. In addition to servicing professionals and corporates, “VDO Meet” further enables the education sector with a flexible facility which permits tutors and academic staff to ensure the learning continuity of their students, whilst also providing medical professionals and the healthcare sector with a viable, sustainable telehealth solution.

Dialog facilitates enterprises through video consultations

The Covid-19 pandemic has sent the global economy into one of its worst recessions ever, and it isn’t yet clear when a full recovery will be in place.

Recent progress on coronavirus vaccines has brightened the economic outlook, but some economists said a potentially slow rollout of vaccines across developing economies could hamper the return of activity to pre-pandemic levels.

Even among advanced economies, renewed lockdowns in Europe in a bid to stave off a resurgence in infections could push back economic recovery, according to economists.

“The vaccine discovery is a shot in the arm, but not until 2022,” Citi economists said in a report in early December. Still, there will be “clear improvement” in the global economy in 2021, partly because “it’s not hard to be better than 2020,” they said.

Steep decline in activityThe rapid spread of Covid,

which was first detected in China, forced many countries into months of lockdown in 2020 that markedly reduced economic activity.

As a result, gross domestic product – the broadest measure of activity – plunged to record lows across many economies.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast the global economy could shrink 4.4% this year before bouncing back to 5.2% growth in 2021. The IMF said in October that the world economy has started to recover, but warned the return to pre-pandemic levels will be “long, uneven, and uncertain.”

Travel restrictions remain

One main feature of coronavirus lockdowns around the world is the complete or partial closure of borders, which brought much of international travel to a halt.

As of 1 November, more

than 150 countries and territories had eased Covid-related travel restrictions, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). But many restrictions remain in place to limit movements across the borders, said UNWTO. That include:

y Only opening borders to visitors with specific nationalities or from certain destinations

y Requiring visitors to present a negative Covid test before letting them enter the country

y Requesting visitors to quarantine or self-isolate upon arrival

Job losses accelerate

A major consequence of the pandemic-induced economic slump is an increase in job losses globally.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental entity, said that in some countries, the early effects of Covid-19 on labour markets were “10 times larger than that observed in the first months of the 2008 global financial crisis.”

“Vulnerable workers are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Low-paid workers have been key to ensure the continuation of essential services during lockdowns, often at a substantial risk of exposing themselves to the virus while working,” the OECD said in a report. “They have also suffered greater job or income losses.”

Government debt soarsGovernments have

increased spending to protect jobs and support workers. Globally, government measures to cushion the pandemic’s economic blow totaled $ 12 trillion, the IMF said in October.

How the global economy looks for 2021

the morningMonday, January 4, 2021CORPORATE/INTERNATIONAL

4

Digital currency bitcoin extended its record-smashing rally on Saturday (2), beginning the year with a surge over $ 30,000 for the first time, with ever more traders and investors betting that it is on its way to becoming a mainstream payment method.

The price of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency traded as high as $ 33,099 on Saturday, with almost all other markets closed over the first weekend of 2021. It was last up about 12% at $ 32,883.

Bitcoin advanced more than 300% in 2020, and with the latest leg higher has added more than 50% since crossing $ 20,000 just two weeks ago.

The block chain currency has only been around for a decade or so, and in

2020 it has seen demand grow from larger US investors, attracted by its perceived inflation-hedging qualities and potential for quick gains, as well as expectations it would become a mainstream payments method.

Investors said limited supply of bitcoin – produced by so-called “mining” computers that validate blocks of transactions by competing to solve mathematical puzzles – has helped power upward moves over recent days. Some also saw it as a safe-haven play during the Covid-19 pandemic, akin to gold.

“It’s very likely that the asset will eventually pass $ 100,000 per coin,” Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink, a global

blockchain project, wrote in an email on Saturday. “People have been steadily losing faith in their government currencies for years, and the monetary policies resulting from the economic impact of the coronavirus have only accelerated this decline.”

It trades on numerous exchanges, the largest of which is Coinbase, which is itself preparing to go public and become the first such platform to list on Wall Street. Multiple competitor cryptocurrencies use similar blockchain, or electronic ledger, technology. Ethereum, the second biggest, gained 465% in 2020 and was up almost 7% on Saturday.

(Reuters)

Bitcoin rallies above $ 30,000 for first time

China’s efforts to stimulate economic growth in 2021, including an expected stronger momentum in foreign trade, will continue contributing to global economic recovery and help stabilise global industrial chains amid the lingering fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials and experts said.

The comments came as the world’s second largest economy is forecast to see around 2% GDP growth in 2020 on the back of reviving consumption, manufacturing investment, and resilient exports. These positive factors are expected to continue driving China’s economic expansion in 2021, experts added.

National Development and Reform Commission Vice Minister Ning Jizhe said that faced with an uncertain external environment, China will maintain its proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy in 2021, and strive to stabilise the economy at a reasonable level.

“China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development. We have confidence and the foundation to promote economic recovery and stable development,” Ning said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

As the first year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), this year is of great significance in taking a good first step in building a new development pattern with the domestic market being the mainstay and the domestic and international markets supporting each other.

More efforts will be made to improve the quality of the supply system in 2021, which is the focus and foundation for building the new development pattern, Ning said, adding that China will accelerate steps to construct an innovation system, and implement key projects targeting breakthroughs in key technologies and solutions to bottleneck problems.

Meanwhile, the Government will

strengthen demand-side management by expanding domestic demand, and encourage new types of consumption, Ning added.

These policies to stabilise China’s economic growth in 2021 will help the global economy better recover from the pandemic-related downturn and contribute to the stability of global supply chains, experts said.

Reuters said in a recent analysis that in a global economy hit hard by Covid-19, China’s foreign trade in 2020 can be described as a “dark horse”, as it shouldered the responsibility for filling the gaps in global industrial chains.

Though it remains uncertain when the pandemic will end and global demand is still in recovery, China’s foreign trade is expected to stabilise at a high level in 2021, Reuters said.

Bai Ming, Deputy Director of the International Market Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, said if the epidemic situation remains under control this year, the outlook would be cautiously optimistic for China’s overall foreign trade situation.

The country’s foreign trade expanded 7.8% year-on-year in November, with exports jumping 14.9% on a yearly basis due to China’s early recovery from the pandemic, its reliable supply chains and major trading partners’ better-than-expected economic performance, according to the latest customs data.

Gao Lingyun, a research fellow at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the joint efforts made by China and its partners including the European Union (EU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, and South Korea to support free trade and the multilateral trading system will have a positive effect on the global economy in 2021.

In addition to stimulating trade and investment activities via regional

economic and trade pacts such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement and the future bilateral investment treaty between China and the EU, China’s foreign trade is expected to grow steadily this year on the back of several factors, including a notable improvement in the industrial, supply, and service chains, Gao said.

Southeast Asian countries will continue to increase their imports from China as their industrial structures remain highly complementary. Meanwhile, with continuous tariff cuts and the coming implementation of zero tariffs within the next decade under the RCEP agreement, ASEAN countries will import more industrial goods, including primary parts, raw materials, and auto parts from China to support their production and supply chains, the researcher added.

CRRC Sifang, a unit of China Railway Rolling Stock, the country’s largest rolling stock manufacturer by production volume, announced last month that it had won a big-ticket contract to build trains for the Alameda-Chillan rail service in Chile, marking the second rolling stock tender the firm has won in the South American country.

The contract involves manufacturing six diesel-electric trains and 24 coaches that include WiFi, a coffee service facility and entertainment systems.

It will be the first time for China to export dual-powered trains to an overseas market. The company said that the trains will be delivered to its Chilean client in 2022.

“In the face of competition and the continuous emergence of new technologies, we will further enhance our scientific and technological innovation capability, and make breakthroughs in next-generation trains such as high-speed freight trains and greener urban rail transit vehicles,” said CRRCVice President Wang Jun.

(China.org.cn)

Sustained growth boosts global outlook

Millennium IT ESP (Pvt.) Ltd., an internationally recognised systems integrator and technology provider with a fully Sri Lankan origin, announced that it is celebrating 25 years of operation.

MillenniumIT ESP (formerly known as Millennium IT/Millennium Information Technologies [Pvt.] Ltd.) was founded in 1996 by Founder/Director Tony Weerasinghe, as a systems integrator and authorised reseller for Sun Microsystems. The following year, the company rose to prominence as it deployed the hardware infrastructure solution for the Colombo Stock Exchange’s (CSE) trading platform. Subsequently, the company built the first suite of telecom software for Dialog Axiata, or ‘Dialog GSM’, as it was known then.

“It is with great pride that we celebrate this all-important milestone of an entity that has created many notable firsts and sustainable growth within the IT industry of Sri Lanka,” stated MillenniumIT ESP Director/CEO Shevan Goonetilleke. “MillenniumIT ESP’s foundation to success has always been its people, values, and culture – one which has been built on relationships and mutual trust. Employees are united by loyalty to the company and a passion for success, whilst leadership is driven by teamwork, innovation, enforcement of positive relationships, and a result-oriented mindset.”

Goonetilleke added that MillenniumIT will next focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

Over the years, the organisation has grown in numbers, with over 400 employees who work across all sectors. MillenniumIT ESP has managed to build several global partnerships with leading firms, including Oracle, CISCO, Dell, Microsoft, IBM, and Edgeverve (‘Infosys’), and has received numerous excellence, innovation, and performance-based awards across various markets for its services around the globe.

The company provides Sri Lanka Telecom, Dialog Axiata, Mobitel Sri Lanka, and all other telecommunication companies in the country with infrastructure solutions, consisting of critical servers, storage, consolidated databases, and

backup solutions, and has implemented virtualised/hyper-converged infrastructure platforms.

In 2007, MillenniumIT ESP assisted Dialog Axiata to transform its legacy network to make it the country’s first IP-MPLS network, and in 2013, to support increasing bandwidth, converted this IP-MPLS network to a 100G DWDM-based Cisco network, which was South Asia’s first 100G network for Cisco technologies.

In 2008, when Sri Lanka Telecom ventured into the television space in the country with the launch of PeoTV, MillenniumIT ESP provided the IPTV platform and digital Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions to PeoTV in this audience-empowering business. MillenniumIT ESP also enabled Sri Lanka Telecom to reconstruct the architecture of the television industry and secure the dominant design in the local Pay-TV industry.

In December 2017, Ambeon Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd.– a medium-sized conglomerate in the areas of financial services, manufacturing of porcelain and textile products, real estate, technology, and strategic investments – took over MillenniumIT ESP from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) with 100% management and shareholding control.

“The strategic decision to acquire one of Sri Lanka’s leading systems integrator and technology providers, MillenniumIT ESP, helped steer the Group positively with greater penetration through technology and innovation businesses. In today’s dynamic business environment, technology continues to play a pivotal role across the globe, and the acquisition of MillenniumIT ESP continues to accelerate Ambeon’s international growth strategy,” commented MillenniumIT Chairman Sanjeev Gardiner, who is also Chairman

of Ambeon Capital (Pvt.) Ltd. and Ambeon Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd.

During the latter part of 2019, MillenniumIT ESP announced the launch of the company’s new purpose statement, “Reimagine Today and Reinvent Tomorrow”. In addition, the company unveiled its new logo, which was meant to depict agility and the transformational mindset, integrating the same with the new purpose statement.

MillenniumIT ESP also said it has invested in a Security Operating Center (SOC) and Network Operating Center (NOC) at its third office location. Further, the service practice at MillenniumIT ESP has been supporting enterprises in managing their IT operations by providing managed services in various forms, through its NOC operations.

“In today’s dynamic world, connectivity is evolving, and organisations are embracing change, adapting to the ‘new normal’ and growing exponentially. Whether it is banking and finance, insurance, telecommunication, manufacturing, or services, industries are constantly reinventing themselves to understand behavioral dynamics, and stay relevant to the needs of tomorrow’s consumer,” stated Ambeon Capital and Ambeon Holdings Group Managing Director/CEO Murali Prakash.

In addition to delivering top-quality services across established lines of business, 2019 also saw the company successfully build on its capabilities in emerging technologies, including AI, and data science and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), which help customers optimise their overall business processes and enable intelligent, data-driven decision making. During the same year, the company invested in the acquisition of

Infoseek (Pvt.) Ltd., an innovative cloud-based Human Resource Information System (HRIS) company providing services under the brand ‘MintHRM’.

MillenniumIT ESP partnered with Cisco Sri Lanka in offering an AI-enabled video and audio conferencing system to the healthcare sector in Sri Lanka. This solution facilitated instant decision-making, which was extremely crucial for containing the spread of the pandemic in the country. The company further launched HealthVision: a web-enabled, mobile-responsive remote patient monitoring platform for medical personnel and care-givers, which proved to be the need of the time.

Looking into the future, from a business perspective, MillenniumIT ESP said it intends on embracing every opportunity that the circumstances permit. As a global technology player, the company intends growing its footprint in the public sector, health sector, leisure, and real estate. Further, the company’s software development practice, which focuses on product development, will continue to evolve rapidly by offering cloud applications (SaaS) to the respective enterprises.

Regional and global expansions are also another area of focus for the future. The company hopes to augment its core technology offerings using emerging technologies, while continuing to funnel investment into IP development and acquisitions.

The Board of Directors of MillenniumIT ESP include Sanjeev Gardiner (Chairman), Murali Prakash, Priyantha Fernando, Yudhishtran Kanagasabai, Shevan Goonetilleke, and Dr. Sajeeva Narangoda (Alternate Director to Murali Prakash).

MillenniumIT celebrates 25th anniversary

Millennium IT ESP Director and Ambeon Capital and Ambeon Holdings Group Managing Director Murali Prakash

MillenniumIT ESP Ambeon Capital and Ambeon Holdings Chairman Sanjeev Gardiner

Director and Chief Executive Officer MillenniumIT ESP Shevan Goonetilleke

the morningMonday , January 4, 2021

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brunch “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”

-Oprah Winfrey

Thought for the day

BY DIMITHRI WIJESINGHE

The Robin Hood Army is a volunteer organisation that works to get surplus food from restaurants and communities in order to give it to the less fortunate. They operate under the collective vision to beat global hunger and to use food as a medium to bring out the best of humanity.

The larger global organisation has since given way to self-sustained local chapters in 14 countries, including Sri Lanka.

The Robin Hood Army Sri Lanka, much like their parent organisation, carries out food parcel distributions, currently in and about Colombo, in an effort to look after our local communities and in the process inspires people to give back to those who need it the most.

The organisation works under the ethos of “the challenge is not a lack of food – it is making food consistently available to everyone who needs it”, and so they operate entirely under the model of collecting and distributing, which is completely carried out by volunteers.

We spoke to Robin Hood Army Sri Lanka’s Prathiba Fernandopulle, who is in charge of volunteer management, and she shared with us some of the greater goals

they’ve met during this past particularly testing year of 2020 in terms of feeding Lankans.

Within last December alone, they were able to feed 7,912 people. She shared that in addition to the daily distributions they carry out, they partnered with Sysco LABS Sri Lanka which was looking to feed 10,000 people as part of their CSR project for the month of December.

Earlier last year, the Robin Hood Army initiated their project titled “Mission 30 Million” where they fed 23.2 million people in eighth countries over six weeks in a fight against Covid-19, and in issuing a call for support in Sri Lanka in early July, Parathiba shared that they too were able to participate in this initiative with a number of volunteers joining in.

A zero-funds organisationPrathiba shared that Robin Hood Army is

a zero-funds organisation, noting that they do not accept donations. All they ask for is your time. She said the organisation has maintained its incredible transparency and ethics this way in focusing entirely on their mission to simply feed anyone who needs feeding.

The way they go about distributing food in Sri Lanka currently is that they have two restaurant partners – four Paan Paan outlets and Royal Bakery. On any regular non-pandemic-affected day, volunteers would gather and once the food has been collected from these outlets, they would come together at the Lawrence Road Paan Paan outlet where they would repackage all the food collected and head on their way, taking their individual routes to find anyone in need.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, however, they do not encourage the gathering of volunteers and therefore, they have one timely pickup from the bakery itself and head straight for distribution.

She shared with us that one thing they would really love to have is more restaurant partners as the partners who have so graciously joined them happen to be in and around Colombo, limiting their distributions to Colombo. On occasions where the volunteers travel from far, they would then take some food parcels on their way back and distribute it that way.

The way they operate is that they pick up any of the excess food the bakery is most likely to throw away that day. Prathiba shared that they wish not to add any stress to the food outlet, adding that they arrive at the restaurants right at the closing time to pick up the excess.

When asked if they are working exclusively with baked goods, Prathiba said that since they are giving it to people, the food must remain fresh, edible, and safe. As such, the best items they can guarantee to hold their freshness until the end of the day are baked goods, whereas with food like rice packets and such, they cannot guarantee that safety. She added that they do receive a lot of bread and on occasions like that, since they

cannot simply give people loaves of bread without an accompaniment, they would call up orphanages and network in order to distribute it to them.

She said the reason why they have been unable to get more outlets on board is that many places they’ve reached out to have said that they put all of their food together and give it to animals and that the way they dispose is in collective chunks, which is not suitable to be collected and distributed to people.

However, Prathiba said that they are not deterred and would like to extend an open invitation to any food outlet that wishes to come on board. As for those who would like for the Robin Hood Army to come collect their excess food, they would be most grateful while simultaneously extending the same warm welcome to any volunteers who wish to offer their time to join the daily distribution of food parcels.

To sign up, visit https://robinhoodarmy.com/volunteer-sign-up.

For more information, contact the Robin Hood Army Sri Lanka on

their Facebook or Instagram pages.

The Robin Hood Army 2020 round-up‘The challenge is not a lack of food – it is making food consistently available to everyone who needs it’

It seems, after almost a decade, 26-year-old singer Justin Bieber has ditched his tattoos

in the new music video for his most recent single Anyone. Justin shared a clip of the

behind-the-scenes transformation on his Instagram, posting a time-lapse

video of himself sitting in a chair while his chest and arms were being covered with makeup to conceal his ink.

Bieber goes tattoo-free for video of his new single

The panel included national bodybuilding champion and Crossfit Head Coach Mothilal Jayathilake; US-certified natural health professional and biological medicine practitioner Shanez Gunatilaka; yoga therapist, mindfulness-based life skills coach, and author of The Vedic Science of Personal Advancement Angelica Chandrasekeran; and physiotherapist and Physio Medicare Founder Nilakshi Kasilingam.

Shanez Gunatilaka explained that 80% of our immunity comes from the gut and that gut health is heavily interlinked with immunity and

mental health, which means the food we eat plays a part in the regulation of our mood. She went on to explain that the gut contains an ecosystem of microbial activity (the gut microbiome) and that it is this microbial activity that converts the food we consume into the various components we need. This happens in the lining of the gut, which is one cell thick and can easily be damaged by irritable bowels and the chemicals we consume. In terms of mental health, many neurotransmitters including serotonin and dopamine are made in the gut by the gut microbiome, as vitamins that boost immunity.

Gunatilaka stressed that appropriate diet and nutrition is vital to keep the gut microbiome functioning optimally. She recommended avoiding refined carbohydrates, artificial sugars, chemicals, additives, colourings, and MSG in food, as these put a lot of pressure on the system and cause inflammation and weakening of the gut microbiome. Gunatilaka recommended eating more complex carbohydrates like manioc, kurakkan, wholewheat bread, and lots of vegetables and leafy greens, especially for immunity. She encouraged the audience to stick with real and fresh foods as well as to be more aware of how these foods have grown, adding that many pesticides and weed-killers affect the nutritional value of the produce they are used around.

Mothilal Jayathilake spoke on the importance of consciousness when exercising and training, stressing the importance of paying attention to posture, poses, and movement when training. He explained that all trainers absolutely must know process, points of performance, and nutrition, which is sadly not always the case with trainers as they often lack knowledge of process and promoting supplements.

Jayathilake also spoke about the huge change that has taken place in the human diet over the last 100 years, which, coupled with lifestyle changes, has led to obesity becoming a major health issue across the world. He stressed that exercise, nutrition,

fasting, and recovery play a huge role in fine-tuning health and looking healthier.

Nilakshi Kasilingam shared that the most common ailment she has treated post lockdown was neck pain, adding that the shift to work from home, despite all its comforts, comes with drawbacks because people are a lot less focused on posture and the amount of time spent in front of computers. Activity has also been minimised, as opposed to pre-lockdown times, during which time most people engaged in a fair amount of movement in the course of the day, even when socialising. This has contributed to more repetitive stress injuries (RSI) being reported and muscular-skeletal disorders becoming the second biggest cause of disability worldwide – this has been the case since 2012.

Kasilingam also spoke about how people today heavily depend on painkillers, which is very problematic because pain is a symptom of something bigger, and painkillers treat the symptom but not the problem, often making it worse in the long run. She urged the audience not to rely on painkillers but to visit physiotherapists at the onset of any problem or injury as opposed to seeking help during the late stages of an injury, where it is much more difficult to get muscles back to their original state.

Angelica Chandrasekeran shared that the basic act of breathing can be used to increase clarity and awareness.

Chadrasekeran also addressed the misconception of yoga, explaining that it is not simply something someone can do to lose weight but is a philosophy based on external ethics (moderation, generosity, non-harming, non-hoarding, and simplicity of life), internal ethics (clarity of mind, discipline, contentment, regulating yourself, and controlling and focusing the senses to maintain a state of flow), willpower, and the physical aspects of breathing and posture combined with understanding scriptures and philosophy.

Chandraesekeran also explained that we often function at a high stress level because of our fast pace of life, and this makes our nervous system feel like it is in a “sympathetic” state – a state of crisis. Mindfulness helps the body achieve a “parasympathetic” state, where through mindfulness we slow down and give the body a break.

Our jobs and the corporate world play a large part in putting our system in a sympathetic state. Chandrasekera explained that we need to ask ourselves what we want in life, adding that yoga therapy shows that altruistic actions are best for creating bliss. However, the very foundation of the corporate world is based on “give and take” and expecting something in return. So then, it is up to us individuals to decide how much we’re willing to do and give ourselves breaks for our bodies to regenerate.

Health, vitality, and immunity for 2021

Nilakshi KasilingamAngelica ChandrasekeranShanez GunatilakaMothilal Jayathilake

A webinar by Workout.lkBY NAVEED ROZAIS

Independent fitness start-up Workout.lk kicked off 2021 with an informative Zoom webinar on 3 January, discussing health, vitality, and immunity and covering topics like physiotherapy, mindfulness, general health and fitness, the health of our gut microbiome and how all these factors come together to affect our physical health, our mental health, and our immunity.

the morningMonday, January 4, 2021CAUSE

6

BY VENESSA ANTHONY

Sri Lanka, with its decidedly traditional culture, has not always been at the forefront among countries that are actively seeking to grant rights and freedoms to those of different sexual identities. But fortunately, there are several people and groups – those that believe in establishing an equal footing for all – working on the grassroots level to ensure minorities are not forgotten in this regard.

The Venasa Transgender Network (VTN) is one such non-profit organisation. Established in 2015, it has been working actively for the betterment and rights of transgender persons, and they pride themselves on being the first organisation in Sri Lanka to work exclusively for the rights of the trans community.

Mental health concernsMental health is already a

scarcely discussed topic in our country, with only a few willing to admit that they require outside help in dealing with the stresses and challenges they face. People of the transgender community face even more challenges in terms of mental health – the huge stigma surrounding anyone of the LGBT community sees their gender or sexuality not being recognised as valid – their very identities are disregarded to begin with.

The community also faces various adverse effects in terms of their social and family lives, not to mention the stress caused by enduring the long periods of time for transition and the hormones they take to achieve their gender identity.

Transition is not a cheap procedure, and hormones are incredibly expensive to come by, especially considering the laws in Sri Lanka. The financial burden weighs heavy on their minds, which

again leads to unstable mental health. VTN aims to help reduce this burden and make the lives of these people better, both in terms of financial stability and good mental health.

How Covid-19 affected the trans community

It has been established that Covid-19 is a respiratory virus. Transgender people may often choose to use binders to stay true to their gender identity, thus increasing the risk of complications arising. VTN held educational programmes on how to safely bind without restricting breathing, especially in light of the pandemic. They also advised against binding if one feels like they are exhibiting symptoms of Covid.

“If you have a cough, the medical recommendation is to avoid binding, as it can lead to fluid buildup in the lungs. Pneumonia is

a common complication associated with Covid, and respiratory illness can be exacerbated by the restriction of the chest,” stated a spokesperson at VTN.

He added that if they wish to keep binding, then they should remember to cough after taking it off, as this will help restore the lungs to their full capacity. He also noted that coughing can increase musculoskeletal soreness. “To prevent this, our medical professionals recommend they do some stretches to reduce the risk of straining your back and neck, or even cracking a rib.”

During the pandemic, many transgender people were faced with the loss of jobs. VTN hosted programmes to fund their livelihood, so that they could afford basic necessities. They also supplied them with their hormones and other medication that help with their transition, which they couldn’t afford anymore.

Advocacy and emergency assistance

As the stigma around the LGBTQ community continues, many citizens are left homeless simply because of something they identify as. VTN provides a safe space for those who have been evicted from their homes and families, and even refer them to counsellors to help cope with the trauma. They are educated on their rights and provided with financial backup to go out into society as

capable human beings. VTN has lawyers and medical professionals that they work closely with in order to better the lives of trans people who feel like all hope is lost.

VTN also documents human rights issues they face, in hopes of making a change to some very outdated laws in Sri Lanka. The battle transgender persons face everyday is not an easy one, but with the help of such organisations, they are granted the opportunity to continue living their lives with more ease in such times of need.

Venasa Transgender NetworkEasing the burden on transgender people

BY VENESSA ANTHONY

Dogs are known as man’s best friend, and yet the amount of stray dogs in Sri Lanka is staggering. Currently, the amount of stray dogs has reached over two million. As much compassion as we feel for these adorable furballs, there are only so many homes that can take in these strays. While health concerns, such as the spread of rabies, is one area that’s worrying, strays can also become a nuisance to the general public, sadly leading to these animals being abused.

Quoted in local media, Public Health Veterinary Services (PHVS) Director Dr. L.D. Kithsiri stated that last year alone, around 300,000 rabid bites were reported, causing 26 human deaths. About 95% of the bites were by dogs while the rest was by other animals such as jackals, cats, and squirrels, which is overall a huge cause for concern.

Justice for Animals Sri Lanka, a non-profit group that aims to provide a platform for animal welfare, responding to this issue, implemented a spay and neuter programme called “Rabies Eradication Through Humane Population Control”.

Justice for Animals Joint Secretary Tashiya Captain, who heads the spay and neuter programme, gave us insight into this venture. She and her team visit many parts of Sri Lanka that have a large population of stray dogs and carry out sterilisations to prevent the population from getting out of hand.

“These sterilisation and vaccination campaigns were introduced as a means to reduce stray cat and dog populations in hopes of ending the suffering of innocent animals born homeless without shelter, medical care, or food.”

Captain emphasised the importance of going back to districts they’ve already visited regularly, noting: “We can’t sterilise puppies, so if we don’t go back in a few months, when they’ve grown up, they’ll end up reproducing, and the population problem continues.”

She informed us that the Ratnapura Governor is very keen on their programme, so they’ve been visiting the area for a while. Captain noted that they’ve seen a severe reduction in the number of strays due to the spray programme being implemented so well.

Abandonment causes overpopulation

Captain shared that she was recently contacted by a priest in a temple in

Anuradhapura, who wanted help with the magnitude of dogs being dumped at the temple. Anuradhapura is famous for being the “holy city” of Sri Lanka, so many people from surrounding cities dump stray animals as it is considered a sin in Buddhism to neglect animals.

Captain told us that these people simply hope the temple will take care of all these animals, but that there’s only so much these monks too can do. “We already visited in October, but the situation has got worse again.”

She stated that it is high time the Government takes this issue seriously and begins implementing more sterilisation programmes, adding that the current ones are not conducted humanely.

In this regard, she shared the heartbreaking story of a scene she saw of these government-run programmes, where a dog was being dragged across the road with no concern for the dog’s feelings.

Justice for Animals hopes to provide a safe option for dogs to be sterilised, where they don’t get hurt in the process.

Sterilisation programmes amidst pandemic

Back in April, during the first wave of the pandemic, the Justice For Animals team visited the Thanthirimale Temple in Anuradhapura after acquiring permission from the Ministry of Health. The monk residing in the temple had a lot of issues regarding dogs being dumped at the temple and informed Captain that usually, whenever pilgrims visit the temple, they feed and take care of the dogs, but with the curfew at the time, there were no pilgrimages happening, and so the dogs’ livelihoods were neglected. The lack of food and attention led to the dogs falling ill. “They were in a terrible state when we got there,” Captain noted.

The pandemic has also given way to the abandonment of pets. People find it difficult to afford taking care of their pets, especially due to the loss of jobs and salary cuts the pandemic has caused. Captain told us that she has seen many dogs out on the street and observed that there has been a steep increase in numbers, most probably caused by citizens being unable to afford taking care of their pets.

However, the pandemic didn’t stop Captain and her team from doing what they believed in. “We were collecting street dogs; there were not many people

on the street, so contracting the virus wasn’t really an issue we had to worry about. The biggest concern was the dogs’ lives.”

The challengesCaptain named funding as the biggest

obstacle to all their programmes. Last year, Justice for Animals printed out calendars to sell and directed all profits to their sterilisation programmes. However this year, Captain commented that they were too afraid to launch such an initiative.

“How could we have gone around trying to sell a calendar when we were not sure if there would be a sudden lockdown in place? Not to mention, we didn’t know what the situation with the virus would be.”

They had also planned another sale which they couldn’t have because of the prevailing situation in the country at the time. Captain added that it doesn’t look

like they can do anything much anytime soon either.

Another challenge they faced during the pandemic was travelling to isolated areas. Even though Captain received many calls for help from areas like Ratnapura and Anuradhapura, there was no way to physically visit, as the cities didn’t want any visitors entering. On the bright side, she added that Covid didn’t prevent them from carrying out these programmes, because although they couldn’t visit certain areas, they managed to get through to other parts of the country, still striving to continue their programme.

Justice for Animals did hold a few fundraisers this year, but Captain explained to us that the money raised didn’t even begin to cover all their expenses.

Justice for Animals don’t carry out adoption programmes, again due to the lack of funds. Captain explained that even if they take strays in, it is unlikely that every single animal from the litter will get adopted. “If I take in five dogs and three get adopted, we don’t have the funds or resources to care for the other two.”

On a personal level, Captain does rescue animals in need, but to adopt so many strays is an unfeasible task. She also added that they don’t have the resources to check up on the animals after they’ve been adopted, and that there is no way to make sure these animals are going to a safe and loving home. With all the animal cruelty that has risen drastically in Sri Lanka, all one can do is hope that these furry friends find a caring home.

On a quest to end overpopulation

of straysJustice for Animals on the year that went by and what else needs to be done

@JusticeforAnimalsSriLanka

@justiceforanimals.lk

Sterilisation programme

Feeding strays

the morningMonday , January 4, 2021 SPORTS

7

ASITHA FERNANDO AND MINOD BHANUKA

Asitha Fernando and Minod Bhanuka were handed their Test debuts by Sri Lanka yesterday, Sunday, 3 January. The duo was named in the XI to face South Africa in the second Test in Johannesburg.

Bhanuka and Fernando earned Test caps number 152 and 153 for Sri Lanka, and the visitors will hope the influx of youth will help improve on their display in the first Test of the series, in which they were beaten by an innings and 45 runs.

Below is how ICC.com yesterday looked at how Bhanuka and Fernando reached the world stage.

Asitha FernandoFernando is a right-arm medium-

pace bowler, who has been on the Sri Lanka national team radar since 2016 when he came through the ranks as a player of high potential.

Fernando caught the eye during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup 2016 in

Bangladesh, where he was Sri Lanka’s top wicket-taker. In six matches at the tournament, Fernando took 11 wickets, at a fine average of 16.45, and best figures of 4/43.

A first-class debut soon followed, when he was included in the Sri Lanka A team that took on Pakistan A at Leicester later in 2016. Continuing his upward trajectory, Fernando starred in that clash – he claimed seven wickets against a side that included the likes of Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Sharjeel Khan. Five of his wickets came in the second innings, when he returned 5/33, including the wicket of Azam, to help Sri Lanka A to a 33-run victory.

A year later, he made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Hambantota, but struggled, bowling two expensive overs in a rain-curtailed encounter. He has since failed to make an international XI till date, although he did earn call-ups frequently as a squad option.

He was a part of the Galle Gladiators

side in Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2020, and took four wickets in as many matches for the side.

Minod BhanukaBhanuka is a left-hand wicketkeeper-

batsman who racked up runs at the domestic level for half a decade before graduating to the national team in 2019.

Bhanuka made his limited-overs debut for Sri Lanka on the tour of Pakistan in October 2019. He played an ODI and two T20Is, and while he didn’t get a chance to bat much in the shorter format – he faced just the one ball in his two matches – he did score a steady 36 in the ODI to prevent a slide.

Bhanuka had to wait over a year thereafter to make his next international appearance – the ongoing Test against South Africa – but his record in domestic cricket shows why the Sri Lanka management placed the faith in the 25-year-old.

In 54 first-class matches, Bhanuka averages just under 45, having racked

up 3,530 runs including 11 centuries. A first-class strike-rate north of 70 gives a glimpse into his attacking nature with the bat, and he was a big figure for the Jaffna Stallions at the 2020 LPL, scoring a 26-ball 40 for the side

against Galle Gladiators in one outing.Bhanuka came through the Sri Lanka

youth ranks and represented the side in two matches at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2014 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

All you need to know about Sri Lanka’s latest Test debutants

Asitha Fernando celebrated his maiden

Test wicket of Aiden Markram

yesterday (3)

Minod Bhanuka

Hospital CEO Dr. Rupali Basu said yesterday (3) that former India Captain Ganguly, nicknamed “Dada”, is doing “absolutely fine” as he recovers from “a right coronary angioplasty” which he underwent on Saturday.

Hospital CEO speaksPerhaps the most powerful figure

in world cricket administration today, Ganguly underwent an angioplasty at 3 p.m. on the “main culprit artery” which was revascularized with a stent, Dr. Basu told Boria Majumdar and Deep Dasgupta of India Today yesterday.

“He’s doing absolutely fine. I met him this morning and spoke to him. He has his wife Dona, brother Snehasish, and his wife beside him. He was spending time with them. He just had breakfast at the time when I met him. He’s doing fine, looking fine, maybe a bit tired from the way I would normally see him. I don’t think there is any risk to his health at all at the moment,” Dr. Basu said.

Revascularized with a stent“He was doing his gym at 11 o’clock at

his home when this cardiac event happened. And then he came over to the hospital at 1 p.m. on Saturday (2) and then we did his investigations. We found out his heart is not doing the right thing.

“We had to do an angioplasty and his main culprit artery, which is the right coronary artery, has been now revascularized with a stent. But then there are two more such blocks in two more arteries which need to be revascularized, which is the process we have to do now,” Dr. Basu told Majumdar and Dasgupta.

Opinion of best in the world sought

Dr. Basu went on to add that Ganguly will be able to resume his normal life in another three to four weeks once the remaining two blocked arteries are revascularized.

“I don’t think we are considering surgery at the moment because of his young age and the advancement of angioplasty. But we are taking expert opinions from the best cardiologists in the country and in the world and then we will have to take a call about what to do with the two blocked arteries and once that is done, another three and four weeks of resting and he should be back to his active life and that’s what we want for Dada to be back to his active life,” Dr. Basu said.

Acute myocardial infarction“Ganguly was diagnosed with three blocked

coronary arteries after which a stent was inserted in one, to remove the blockage,” Dr. Saroj Mondal, whose team performed the procedure at Woodlands Hospital, has told the media.

“He will be under strict observation for the next couple of days. We will be taking a decision on our next course of action depending on his improvement. His other parameters are fine and needs to be in the hospital for the next three to four days,” Mondal said.

“He had an acute myocardial infarction (MI). We have found three blocks in his heart. We have conducted a primary angioplasty on him and one stent has been inserted. He is awake and absolutely stable,” Dr. Mondal said.

Out of ‘any immediate danger’“He suffered a myocardial infarction while

doing the treadmill this morning. He had a similar experience Friday also. He was rushed to the hospital immediately (on Saturday) and that helped us a lot in treating him,” the doctor said.

An MI, commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to a part of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle.

Earlier in the day on Saturday, Ganguly was first admitted to the emergency ward and given preliminary treatment and put through investigations. He was later taken to another ward at the same hospital after he

was stabilised. Doctors said he was out of “any immediate danger”. The hospital formed a three-member medical board headed by cardiologist Dr. Saroj Mondal.

State Chief Minister calls onWest Bengal State Sports Minister and

former state cricketer Laxmiratan Shukla, too, rushed to the hospital, where he was joined by senior Cricket Association of Bengal officials. State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too called on Ganguly.

“It’s difficult to accept that such a young and fit sportsperson like him could have a condition like this. An angioplasty has been done and the block has been removed. Sourav is now relieved of his chest discomfiture. He is doing well now and I wish him a speedy recovery. Doctors have done a good job,” said Mamata.

(With inputs fromIndia Today and PTI)

“Just got to know about your ailment Sourav. Hope each passing day brings you closer to a full and speedy recovery!”

– Sachin Tendulkar

“Dada, jaldi se theek hone ka. Praying for your quick and speedy recovery.”

– Virender Sehwag

“Praying for your speedy recovery. Get well soon!”– Virat Kohli

“Wishing you a speedy recovery Dada! Praying that you get well soon!”

– Ajinkya Rahane

“I wish and pray for the speedy recovery of Ganguly. I’ve spoken to his family. Dada is stable and is responding well to the treatment.”

– BCCI Secretary Jay Shah

“Wishing you a speedy recovery Dada!”– Anil Kumble

“Get well soon dada!”– Mohammad Shami

“Get well soon Dada, gutted to hear about your cardiac arrest. Hope you feel better.”

– Mohammad Kaif

“Shocked to hear about Dadi! Wishing him a speedy recovery!”– Wriddhiman Saha

“It’s not about how fit you are and doing strenuous exercise. A very good sleep of 6-7 hours a day with a stress free life is very important. It was very evident that Saurav was under stress…”

– Redo Goa, a fan

y Admitted to hospital after complains about chest discomfort

y Tests showed Ganguly had suffered a mild heart attack

y Hospital CEO says he is doing fine at the moment

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly had been exercising on his treadmill at home at 11 a.m. on Saturday (2) when he started feeling discomfort in his chest and was immediately rushed to the Woodlands Hospital in Kolkata.

Hospital CEO Dr. Rupali Basu talking to India Today

GET WELL SOON!Cricket fraternity queue up on social media to wish good health to “Dada”:

‘DADA’ is fine

BCCI Head Sourav Ganguly is perhaps the most powerful figure in world cricket today

Media gathering in front of the Woodlands Hospital in Kolkata

z BCCL President Ganguly undergoes angioplasty after suffering a heart attack

sportsMonday , January 4, 2021

Tokyo 2020 in ‘severe situ’Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures have asked the Japanese Govt. to declare a state of emergency as coronavirus cases escalate in the Olympic host city. “We agreed that we are in a severe situation that warrants us considering the declaration of a state of emergency,” Japanese Economic Revitalisation Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura (pictured) has said after meeting the Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa Governors on Saturday (2).

Another five-for for JamiesonKiwi pacie Kyle Jamieson continued his meteoric rise in international cricket, claiming the third five-wicket haul in just six Tests as

Pakistan, batting first, were bowled out for 297 in their first innings in Christchurch yesterday (3) in their second Test. Azhar Ali (93) put up

a brave fight for Pakistan as they came to this last Test after losing

the first by 101 runs at Mount Maunganui.

Anrich Nortje claimed career-best figures of 6/56 as Sri Lanka were rolled for 157 on the first day at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, before 92 (not out) from Dean Elgar helped South Africa to a strong position by the close. In response to Sri Lanka’s 157, South Africa replied with 148/1, only nine runs shy of Sri Lanka’s first innings total, at stumps on the opening day yesterday (3).

Kusal Perera helped get the visitors off to a respectable start after opting to bat first, scoring a 67-ball 60 to take them to a solid 71/1.

The one early wicket to fall was that of Captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who was undone by a vicious bouncer from Nortje with the ball looping off the glove to give Quinton de Kock the first of five catches in the innings.

Perera dismissal sparked the collapse

However, when Perera edged Wiaan Mulder to Aiden Markram at slip shortly before lunch, it sparked a collapse from which Sri Lanka couldn’t fully recover.

Mulder produced a peach to dismiss Kusal Mendis for a duck later in the same over, and then snared Lahiru Thirimanne in his next over, with both players also caught in the slips as the all-rounder surged to figures of 3/1 before the break.

Nortje then joined in on the action, finding a steep bounce from back of a length to take the edge of debutant

Minod Bhanuka as he looked to punch it off the back foot.

Losing four wickets in 13 runs

Sri Lanka had collapsed from 71/1 to 84/5 by lunch, and things didn’t improve much after the lunch break. Niroshan Dickwella was well caught by De Kock in front of first slip to give Nortje his third, and Dasun Shanaka feathered one to be dismissed by the same combination

and leave the visitors 110/7.Wanindu Hasaranga wrested back

some momentum with a whirlwind 29, putting on 39 runs for the eighth wicket with Dushmantha Chameera.

Nortje’s second five-forLutho Sipamla drew a thin edge

from Hasaranga to give De Kock his fourth catch, and Chameera edged an attempted pull shot off Nortje to give

the gloveman his fifth catch and Nortje his second Test five-for.

Nortje went full and straight to make a mess of Asitha Fernando’s stumps and wrap up the innings for 157.

Proteas’ strong replySouth Africa negotiated their

way to tea without loss, with Dean Elgar becoming the 10th player to score 4,000 Test runs for them just

before the break.Markram fell a short time into

the evening session, edging Asitha Fernando to the slips to hand the 23-year-old seamer his maiden Test wicket, but Rassie van der Dussen held firm with Elgar and by stumps. The pair’s unbroken partnership was worth 114 runs as the hosts closed on 148/1, trailing by just nine runs.

(ICC)

Dean Elgar not out 92Aiden Markram c Mendis b Fernando 5Rassie van der Dussen not out 40Extras (w 3, b 4, lb 4) 11Total (for 1 wickets in 37 overs) 148Did not bat: Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, and Lutho SipamlaFall of wickets: 1-34 (Markram, 7.3 ov)Sri Lanka bowling: Fernando 10-0-40-0 (w1), Fernando 10-2-30-1 (w1), Chameera 7-0-34-0, Shanaka 6-1-13-0 (w1), Hasaranga 4-0-23-0

SOUTH AFRICA 1ST INNINGS

Yesterday (3), Sri Lanka’s young prospect Kusal Mendis had the second duck of the two-match series to raise his number of naughts in Tests to nine in 46 matches.

Most ducks in Tests:Courtley Walsh: 43 ducks / 132 matches / batting ave. 7.54

Most ducks for SL in Tests:1. Muttiah Muralitharan: 33 ducks / 133

matches / batting ave. 19.052. Rangana Herath: 23 / 93 / 14.643. Marvan Atapattu: 22 / 90 / 39.024. Nuwan Pradeep: 18 / 28 / 4.005. Suranga Lakmal: 18 / 61 / 11.616. Pramodya Wickramasinghe: 17 / 40 / 9.407. Sanath Jayasuriya: 15 / 110 / 40.078. Mahela Jayawardene: 15 / 149 / 49.84

Kusal Mendis: 9 / 46* / 35.79*Including the ongoing Wanderers Test in South Africa

SL in dire straits Dimuth Karunaratne c de Kock b Nortje 2Kusal Perera c Markram b Mulder 60Lahiru Thirimanne c du Plessis b Mulder 17Kusal Mendis c van der Dussen b Mulder 0Minod Bhanuka c van der Dussen b Nortje 5Niroshan Dickwella c de Kock b Nortje 7Dasun Shanaka c de Kock b Nortje 4Wanindu Hasaranga c de Kock b Sipamla 29Dushmantha Chameera c de Kock b Nortje 22Vishwa Fernando not out 2Asitha Fernando b Nortje 4Extras (lb 5) 5Total (all out in 40.3 overs) 157Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Karunaratne, 9.5 ov), 2-71 (Perera, 20.1 ov), 3-71 (Mendis, 20.5 ov), 4-80 (Thirimanne, 22.5 ov), 5-84 (Bhanuka, 23.6 ov), 6-93 (Dickwella, 25.5 ov), 7-110 (Shanaka, 29.5 ov), 8-149 (Hasaranga, 37.1 ov), 9-151 (Chameera, 38.3 ov), 10-157 (Fernando, 40.3 ov)South Africa bowling: Ngidi 10-3-44-0, Nortje 14.3-1-56-6, Sipamla 9-3-27-1, Mulder 7-3-25-3

SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS

SCORECARD

Kusal Mendis’ misfortune in recent matches continued yesterday (3) at Wanderers as he got out naught in just four balls

PHOTO © CRICINFO

9TH TEST DUCK (0) FOR KUSAL MENDIS

Sources also revealed the contentious fact that one who has tested positive from the tour organising committee of the body has also visited SLC offices at Maitland Place in Colombo on Friday (1) and moved about there, wishing co-staffers for the New Year and mingling among a number of high-ranked officials of the place.

Work from home

The other person who got infected is reportedly a doctor attached to the Ministry of Sports, who works closely with SLC. The two have visited recently together, as unconfirmed reports added, to the Galle International Stadium, the venue of the two Test

matches to be played against England.SLC Human Resources Manager Maj.

Tanesh Dias has reportedly informed the staff of SLC to follow the “work from home” policy until further notice from today (4).

England enter bubbleThe strange development occurred,

unfortunately, the very day about a 40-member-strong England contingent entered their biosecure bubble to quarantine for about two weeks in Hambantota, expecting to start their two-match Test series in Galle from 14 January.

Among the SLC officials who have

been advised to undergo PCR tests is reportedly the person who was to be the main liaison officer of the touring English side. He was to join the England contingent yesterday when the mishap took place.

Unlikely to affect matchesIn spite of the unexpected nature of

the happening, it is highly unlikely to hamper the scheduled Tests which are ten days away from today.

Furthermore, no Colombo contacts have reportedly visited Hambantota, where England are to stay and train until they visit Galle for the Tests.

Covid-19 hits SLCAn employee of Sri Lanka

Cricket (SLC) has tested positive for Covid-19 and been isolated with immediate effect, the Cricket Board said in an official media communiqué yesterday (3).

“The SLC also took steps to immediately isolate the direct contacts of the infected employee and also has carried out PCR tests of the same today (Sunday). The group was also subjected to antigen

tests, and the results have shown ‘negative’,” the statement added.

The infected employee has been found to be Covid-19-positive, following a PCR test carried out on Saturday, 2 January 2021, it revealed.

“In the meantime, SLC will continue to conduct its normal operations with the most essential staff present at the office, whilst the rest will work from home,” the communiqué further said.

Sources revealed yesterday (3) that two employees of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in Colombo, including a leading figure in its tour organising committee, have tested positive for Covid-19 the very day the England Test team visited Sri Lanka via the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in Hambantota.

Two SLC officials in Colombo tested positive for Covid-19 as the England Test team visited the island yesterday (3) in Hambantota

SLC SAYS ‘NO POSITIVE CONTACTS’

AS ENGLAND VISIT SRI LANKA

DISMISSED FOR 157