Botham back to cheer SL tsunami survivors
Thursday, 3 December 2009
SEENIGAMA, Sri Lanka, Dec 2 (AFP): Legendary English all-rounder Sir Ian Botham said Wednesday he was moved by the progress of post-tsunami rebuilding in Sri Lanka, as he visited a sports project he has backed.
"Coming back has been heart-warming and very, very emotional," Botham, 54, said to hundreds of excited school children who greeted him on his third visit to the Indian Ocean island since 2005.
Botham toured the sports complex in Seenigama, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Colombo, where money from the Laureus Sports Foundation has promoted cricket, swimming and volleyball.
"The Seenigama project now involves girls and boys taking part in inter-village sports leagues with matches and training sessions," Botham said at the site, which was destroyed in the December 2004 tsunami.
"Coming back has been heart-warming and very, very emotional," Botham, 54, said to hundreds of excited school children who greeted him on his third visit to the Indian Ocean island since 2005.
Botham toured the sports complex in Seenigama, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Colombo, where money from the Laureus Sports Foundation has promoted cricket, swimming and volleyball.
"The Seenigama project now involves girls and boys taking part in inter-village sports leagues with matches and training sessions," Botham said at the site, which was destroyed in the December 2004 tsunami.