News & Events

Life through Cricket'- a joint initiative between the MJF Charitable Foundation (MJFCF) and Cricket Live Foundation (CLF), New Zealand held a cricket coaching program in Moratuwa (03 Nov.) for 24 underprivileged children and their coaches.

Founder of Cricket Live Alex Reese said: 'Coaches and teachers from New Zealand are responsible for educating a large pool of local coaches, who in turn are responsible for running our initiatives.'

The recent coaching program was conducted by former New Zealand national cricket captain, Stephen Fleming. 'I am here through the New Zealand Cricket Live Foundation to give life skills and cricket skills to young, promising cricketers from poor backgrounds,' said Fleming as he went onto talk to the students on the benefits of developing as a person and cricketer.'

Afterwards, the one-hour cricket skill session with Fleming aimed to develop the life skills and cricket skills of these children. One such boy, Tharindu Dilshan (13) said: 'I am so grateful for this magnificent opportunity to learn from a cricketing legend. I go to the Puwakaramba Methodist Maha Vidyalaya (High School) nearby and we hardly get the chance to have cricket practices like this.' Tharindu is also an MJF Kid who has been coming to the MJF Charitable Foundation for over an year for the after-school support classes they conduct for underprivileged children in the community. 

The cricket skills program also gave four Sri Lankan cricket coaches of similar needy backgrounds as the children an opportunity to learn from the Cricket Live Foundation's cricket session and planning and active learning methods.

Coordinator of the MJFCF/CLF initiative, Sanjeewa Silva said: 'It is highly motivating for our coaches to share and learn from the experiences of a cricketing legend.
'Through the support received by Cricket Live Foundation, I have seen marked difference in the children. The CLF core-values of respect for family and friends, nutrition and healthy living, self-discipline, team work, punctuality and time management have been instilled in these young cricketers and their future looks bright,' said Silva.

-Life through Cricket' is a collaborative programme between the MJF Charitable Foundation and Cricket Live New Zealand. In additions to the three outdoor practice nets at the De Zoysa stadium at Moratuwa that got a face lift when the Cricket Live New Zealand team did a cleanup of the site earlier in March this year, it was refurbished by the MJF Charitable Foundation. Currently, 240 kids grouped into three groups of 48 each + 96 practice cricket along with four coaches who teach them life skills lessons on five days of the week, after school, at the stadium, and at the Uyana Kanishta and Sunanda Upananda MV schools in Moratuwa.