New regulations less likely to effect Under-13 cricket tournament

* MoE decision to scrap competitive sports for U13 age category

The age limit restrictions that will come to effect from 2021 for school sports competitions is unlikely to have a big impact on the lowest age group tournament organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) according to its secretary J.A.K.S. Indrajith.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has decided to scrap competitive sports for the Under-13 age category from 2021. Instead of competitive sports the MoE will encourage carnival type events to keep students interested in various sports in the lowest age category. The circulars to this effect will be sent to Provincial Sports authorities soon.

The SLSCA’s lowest age category tournament is the Under-13 cricket tournament.

“Unlike in other sports we generally call for entries from students who are completing the Under-13 age category in the year the tournament starts. When the tournament ends many players who are in the Under-13 age category are thirteen plus,” Indrajith said in reply to The Island queries.

“Our Under-13 tournament is actually an Under-14 tournament,” he said.

“For example children born after January 1, 2006 were eligible for the Under-13 tournament in 2019. So it was actually an Under-14 tournament.”

However the SLSCA is going to make necessary amendments to the Under-13 tournament to comply with the MoE regulations.

“We assured of our full corporation to the MoE during the planning meetings and will adhere to new regulations. The SLSCA has the experience of conducting tournaments of the nature the MoE is requesting. We organised a fun tournament for the lowest age category once,” said Indrajith.

With the covid 19 pandemic wrecking havoc on all sports and the MoE deciding to not to have school sports until December the Under-13 tournament is not likely to happen this year.

Indrajith said that the tournament committee has not met after the new office bearers were elected due to the covid 19 pandemic. He said the making amendments to the Under-13 tournament will be one of the priorities of the committee when they meet.