Lanka IOC PLC, the overseas venture of IOC India entered into a three-year partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket as the ‘Official Lubricant Partner and ‘A’team sponsor’ as announced at a press conference held on Monday evening at Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo.
The official sponsorship cheque was presented by the Managing Director of Lanka IOC PLC, Mr Shyam Bohra to the President of Sri Lanka Cricket Hon. Thilanga Sumathipala in the presence of Tresurer, Shammi Silva, Sri Lanka national Captain Angelo Mathews, Vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal and all the other distinguished guests.
The sponsorship and patronage extended by Lanka IOC speaks volumes for the continued commitment by the company to further its support towards the development of the most-popular sport in Sri Lanka.
“If there is anything that binds Sri Lanka as a nation, then surely, it’s Cricket. We are indeed proud to be associated with Sri Lanka Cricket and are confident that through this sponsorship of the ‘A’ team, Sri Lanka will once again emerge as World Champions.” Mr. Shyam Bohra said.
Sri Lankan ‘A’ team will have 9 tours in the next three years and Lanka IOC promises to energize the feeding team of the national team during all those series’. Sri Lanka ‘A’ will be touring England in couple of months before they play South Africa at home and then fly to Zimbabwe for a full tour.
“It’s not an easy thing to find sponsors and hold on to them. I am truly grateful to Lanka IOC PLC for coming forward and energizing our ‘A’ team, which is the future generation of Sri Lanka Cricket. It is very important to have a strong ‘A’ team and I hope this genuine association will bring great benefits to Sri Lanka Cricket’s future.” Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala said.
This is not the first time Lanka IOC PLC has come forward to extend their support to Sri Lanka Cricket. They had previously partnered with ‘Spin King’ Muttiah Muralitharan and ‘Mystery Spinner’ Ajantha Mendis as Brand Ambassadors’ of Lanka IOC.
Photo Album – Lanka IOC energizing Sri Lanka Cricket – Press Conference
The national cricket team led by Angelo Mathews will be flying to England in a few days and the President took time off his busy schedule to give his blessings to the team, “It won’t be easy to play in England during the early summer or the late winter. It’s almost 10 degrees celsius in the United Kingdom but we will need to adapt, adjust and acclimatize to the conditions and play well. We have approximately 9 Test matches in the next 6 months and it will surely test the capabilities of our players. I wish Angelo, Dinesh and their team all the very best.” Sumathipala further stated.
