At the invitation of Santhush Woonjin Jeong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, the Captain of the 1996 Cricket World Cup Winning Team, Arjuna Ranatunga paid a visit to the Korean Embassy on March 23.
The 25th Anniversary, since Sri Lanka clinched the maiden cricket world cup under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga, was recently celebrated on March 17, 2021. In line with the 25th Anniversary of winning the Cricket World Cup, the Ambassador expressed his delight and honour to host the legend of Sri Lanka cricket at the Korean Embassy.
The Ambassador said that it was very encouraging to see how Sri Lanka cricket has contributed to uplifting the image of Sri Lanka in the international arena. The glorious victory in 1996 is not only an international achievement but a symbol of great strength, togetherness and magnificent sportsmanship displayed by a team of national heroes who are still remembered for their excellent teamwork and skills.
Ambassador Santhush Woonjin Jeong commended Arjuna Ranatunga for his service to the nation and discussed ways to promote sports diplomacy between our two countries in the future. The Ambassador expressed his delight regarding the expansion of the Taekwondo movement among Sri Lankans as a popular sport.
Taekwondo has been instrumental to showcase Sri Lankan talents in the international platforms such as South Asian Games 2019. As a reciprocal gesture, the Ambassador stated that he hopes to promote cricket among the Koreans which will contribute to fostering friendly Korea-Sri Lanka ties.
Mr. Arjuna Ranatunga assured his fullest support in assisting the Ambassador in his endeavours to promote our bilateral ties in the field of sports. Mr. Ranatunga stated that the interest among other countries to learn cricket has heightened in the recent years and it is indeed heartening to witness the interest shown by the youth in Korea to learn cricket.
Mr. Ranatunga in his closing remarks stated that, “Despite many hurdles and difficulties, perseverance is an essential element to achieve your goals successfully”.
