Sports

250 female athletes in SL for ‘Raid Amazones’

Published

1 year ago

March 20, 2023

editor

Over 250 female athletes arrived in Sri Lanka for the challenging ‘Raid Amazones’ adventure event that will take place in March 2023 in Sri Lanka.

Raid Amazones will hit the fabled streets of the hill capital, Kandy with the participation of over 250 female athletes.

Raid Amazones is a coveted annual destination adventure event originating from France, which features female athletes competing their way through a range of challenges such as orienteering, mountain biking, canoeing, riding, running and archery.

Sri Lanka was chosen over rival destinations by the event’s founders due to the unparalleled warmth of its people and support on ground to pull off a successful event. Their decision is also down to SriLankan Airline’s tireless marketing efforts to secure the popular trail on successive occasions for Sri Lanka in its hour of need for international tourism support.

During the 21st edition of the trail, the participants will be able to connect with a potpourri of natural and historical highlights as they trek through the Kandyan plateau in Central Sri Lanka.

Their journey, though, would begin from the moment that they step onboard SriLankan Airlines to fly from Paris to Colombo, on an aircraft with custom livery dedicated to Raid Amazones 2023.

Named as a UNESCO world heritage site, Kandy, the iconic setting of Raid Amazones 2023, is renowned for two of the most recognizable cultural symbols that define Sri Lanka.

The first one is the Temple of the Tooth Relic of the Buddha, which, as the name suggests, houses the Tooth Relic of the Gauthama Buddha, and is considered the epitome of Kandyan architecture.

The second, being the ‘Kandy Esala Perahera,’ which adorns the livery of the aircraft that will fly down the athletes. Believed to be one of the longest continuing processions in the world, the ‘Perahera’ that takes place in August every year, dates back to the 310 A.D. It is a rich cultural display and a collection of symbolism of lore and traditions.

SriLankan Airlines partnered Raid Amazones in 2022 soon after recommencing operations to Paris.

SriLankan Airlines, together with Connaissance de Ceylan, the official ground handling partner of the event, will go all out to ensure that the French group experiences the best in Sri Lankan hospitality.

The airline and Sri Lanka are likely to gain over EUR 10 million worth of publicity globally from the 21st edition this year.

‘Raid Amazones’ will especially help create more awareness of Sri Lanka as an adventure travel hotspot in France and the rest of Europe, where Raid Amazones is sought-after, and attract adventure-seekers.

(newsfirst.lk)

Sports

Chamari ranked No. 1 batter in women’s ODIs

Published

1 hour ago

April 23, 2024

editor

Chamari Athapaththu, who scored an unbeaten 195 in just 139 balls to take Sri Lanka to a remarkable win over South Africa in their final ODI in Potchefstroom last week, has risen to the No. 1 spot in the ICC’s batting rankings for women’s ODIs.
Athapaththu’s knock broke a number of records in women’s cricket, including the highest individual score in a successful ODI chase. It was also the second-highest individual score in a successful ODI chase across women’s and men’s cricket, behind Glenn Maxwell’s 201 not out against Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup.

Chasing South Africa’s 301 for 5, itself the result of Laura Wolvaardt’s outstanding 147-ball 184 not out – which took her series tally to 335 runs – Sri Lanka got home in just 44.3 overs to square the series. The second-best individual score for Sri Lanka in the chase was Nilakshika Silva’s 50 not out in 71 balls.

Following that effort, Athapaththu achieved her highest-ever rating of 773 on the ICC table, and moved past Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has 764 points. Wolvaardt, who had entered the top five in the last update of the rankings, moved up two more spots, past Beth Mooney and Smriti Mandhana, to third place.

Hayley Matthews, meanwhile, jumped seven spots to reach No. 11 on the same table after scoring 140 not out and 44 in West Indies’ wins over Pakistan in the first two ODIs of their three-match series.

Among bowlers, Sadia Iqbal, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, moved up six places to enter the top 20 after returns of 2 for 38 and 1 for 36 in the two games against West Indies.

(espncricinfo.com)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by espncricinfo.com has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

Five killed, 21 injured in accident at ‘Fox Hill SuperCross’ event

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2024

editor

Tragedy struck at the “Fox Hill Super Cross 2024” racing event in Diyatalawa, resulting in the death of five individuals and leaving 21 others injured, according to Police Media Spokesperson DIG Nihal Thalduwa.

The incident occurred when a race car veered off the track and collided with a group of spectators, DIG Thalduwa explained.

The 28th edition of the ‘Fox Hill SuperCross,’ organized by the Sri Lanka Military Academy Diyatalawa with the support of Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), commenced in Diyatalawa on Sunday (21).

Sports

Chamari’s unbeaten 195 powers SL pull off record run-chase

Published

5 days ago

April 18, 2024

nipuni

Chamari Athapaththu smashed the third-highest individual score in women’s ODIs to help Sri Lanka pull off the highest-ever successful run-chase in women’s ODIs.

Chamari Athapaththu was at her brutal best as Sri Lanka stunned South Africa with a record run-chase in Potchefstroom to level the three-match ICC Women’s Championship ODI series and end a highly successful bilateral tour to the Rainbow Nation.

Chasing 302 to win, Athapaththu led Sri Lanka’s fightback with a stunning hundred, and remained unbeaten on 195, the third-highest score in women’s ODIs, as the visitors overhauled the target with 33 balls to spare.

Athapaththu’s innings was also the second highest individual score in a successful run chase in ODI cricket – both men’s and women’s – marginally behind the magnificent 201* Glenn Maxwell put together for Australia against Afghanistan at last year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Earlier, Laura Wolvaardt continued her stellar run in the bilateral series against Sri Lanka with a second ODI hundred in as many matches. The opener smashed an unbeaten 184 to take South Africa to 301 in the third and final ODI of the series.

Wolvaardt’s knock is the highest score by a South African in women’s ODIs and was also the fourth-highest in women’s ODIs for a brief while, going past Athapaththu’s 178* against Australia in 2017.

Wolvaardt, who had made a hundred in the T20I leg of the tour, also smashed a century in the second ODI in Kimberley on Saturday. On Wednesday, she added another ton to her tally with a spectacular knock.

But her brilliance was overshadowed by her opposite number, Athapaththu, who stole the limelight with a stunning hundred to seal the first-ever successful run-chase of over 300 in women’s ODIs.

Australia had held the record for the highest run-chase in women’s ODIs for more than a decade. In 2012, Australia chased down a target of 289 against New Zealand. Last year, they also chased down 283 against India at the Wankhede.

(icc-cricket.com)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by icc-cricket.com has not been edited by SLM staff)