The Murali Harmony Cup is a unique post-war reconciliation tournament which strives to develop schools cricket in Sri Lanka’s rural areas, especially in the north and east, as well as enhancing communities, developing cross-cultural friendships and encouraging goodwill and harmony within Sri Lankan society.
Red Dot Sports are proud to be associated with a tournament which is championed by such legends of Sri Lankan cricket as Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, and which is jointly handled by Red Dot and the Foundation of Goodness.
History
The tournament, developed and managed by the Foundation of Goodness and Red Dot Tours, was first staged in July 2011 in Seenigama, on Sri Lanka’s west coast. The tournament was a great success, providing a diverse mix of children from different backgrounds with a rich and memorable experience and highlighting the enormous positive potential of such an event.
The following year, in 2012, Sri Lanka was hosting the ICC World Twenty20 and this presented an opportunity to refocus the tournament towards domestic schools. Sangakkara and Jayawardena, both trustees of the Foundation of Goodness, reached the conclusion that the best way to develop cricket in the North and East was by inviting teams from all corners of Sri Lanka to play across the northern region of Sri Lanka. It would both encourage and inspire talented cricketers as well as providing a valuable opportunity for cricketers from the south to gain a life-enriching experience.
The Tournament
The invitation tournament includes Sri Lanka’s leading Under 19 schoolboy teams from all regions of Sri Lanka, including Central Province, Western Province, Southern Province, Uva, Wayamba and North Central Province. The teams are invited each year by the tournament committee in recognition of their performances in the preceding year.
These schools will compete with combined schools’ squads from the Northern and Eastern Provinces. These teams are combined to ensure fair competition given the relatively poor cricketing infrastructure in these regions and also to help ensure that the most talented cricketers in this region gain a valuable opportunity to develop and showcase their talents.
To reflect the ICC World Twenty20 model, and in recognition and support of the rapid development of the world women’s game, the event also includes eight Under 23 women’s clubs. All matches are played at post-conflict school venues across Sri Lanka’s northern regions of Mankulam, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu.
For more information, please contact us or visit www.themuralicup.com.