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Women
cricketers enter hospital with diarrhoea and
stomach ailments in food poisoning saga
By Channaka de Silva
Over 15
aspiring Sri Lanka
women cricketers were admitted to the Kurunegala
hospital due to food poisoning caused by sub standard lunch provided to
them by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) during a provincial tournament to select
players for the Sri Lanka “A” pool.
Sources said
that one player was in a serious condition and several others needed
treatment at the hospital for complaints of diarrhoea,
vomiting and stomach pain.
“The number of cases are still increasing. It is really bad”,
an official told the “Daily Mirror” last night.
“The girls
are crying in pain. It is pathetic to see their conditions. Anyone here
seeing their condition would be angry at the authorities for making
innocent players suffer like this for them to earn
a little commission from the food” said one official who was on the spot
yesterday.
The
tournament was conducted in two groups for six Provincial teams – Basnahira South, Basnahira
North, Wayamba, Kandurata,
Ruhuna and a Combined team from Tuesday to Friday
at two venues – Welagedara Stadium and Maliyadeva College ground in Kurunegala.Sources
said that well-known radio commentator Wijesekara
Walisundera who is a staunch supporter of SLC interim
committee chairman Arjuna Ranatunga
had been awarded the contract to supply food for the tournament by SLC.
Walisundera had procured food from a place called Richard’s Guest
House in Kurunegala, which one source alleged is
not equipped to meet such a large order as over 150 lunch packets were
required for the tournament.
Sources said
that Walisundera had won the deal to supply food
ahead of a lower quotation.
Even the
manager of the players who was staying with them (players) had suffered the
food poisoning, and SLC officials had obtained a written report from the
medical officer of the Kurunegala hospital that
the cause for the illness of players was food poisoning.
Ironically,
SLC has not taken steps to change the food supplier despite the disaster
and will continue to supply food even today, sources added.
“It is the
most pathetic thing about this all. The supplier will continue to provide
food for the tournament till Friday. Officials here are helpless as orders
come from the higher offices” said one official yesterday.
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