Recently, Sri Lanka has been going through some tough times, to say the least. From a mix of bad management, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Ukrainian war, the country has suffered economically and even had their president chased out of office by protestors. Through these tough times, many Sri Lankans have found refuge in a classic sport of theirs: cricket.
Aadhil Siddhique, a 24 – year – old college student, regularly made time to play cricket, between studying for exams and attending anti-government protests. He was in the stands when the Sri Lankan’s national team competed in Colombo, the capital of Galle. So far, the Sri Lankan team has done well in the season, scoring a victory. At the moment, the team is the motivation of the country. Mr. Siddhique said, “Whenever Sri Lanka wins, we feel motivated that this struggle against corrupt
politicians could also win.”
Cricket originated in Britain but was brought to South Asia by British colonials that ruled the region. It still is popular because it is one of the few sports they consistently excel at globally.
The sport is so supported that matches have often still gone on, even amidst crisis. Recent examples include the pandemic and civil wars. In 2009, the team was ambushed and attacked, but this did not last long, and they were soon back to playing.
“Even when something goes really wrong, they will always try to find joy and happiness in sport,” says Abhishek Mukherjee, a cricket writer. “And when I say sport,” he added, “it’s almost always cricket.”
Attention for cricket matches has been increasing a lot lately, as people see it as a way to get away from the hardships they are all facing. Even when Sri Lankans were struggling, they could be seen “partying in the stands” and showing their spirit for cricket.
Aadhil Siddhique, a 24 – year – old college student, regularly made time to play cricket, between studying for exams and attending anti-government protests. He was in the stands when the Sri Lankan’s national team competed in Colombo, the capital of Galle. So far, the Sri Lankan team has done well in the season, scoring a victory. At the moment, the team is the motivation of the country. Mr. Siddhique said, “Whenever Sri Lanka wins, we feel motivated that this struggle against corrupt
politicians could also win.”
Cricket originated in Britain but was brought to South Asia by British colonials that ruled the region. It still is popular because it is one of the few sports they consistently excel at globally.
The sport is so supported that matches have often still gone on, even amidst crisis. Recent examples include the pandemic and civil wars. In 2009, the team was ambushed and attacked, but this did not last long, and they were soon back to playing.
“Even when something goes really wrong, they will always try to find joy and happiness in sport,” says Abhishek Mukherjee, a cricket writer. “And when I say sport,” he added, “it’s almost always cricket.”
Attention for cricket matches has been increasing a lot lately, as people see it as a way to get away from the hardships they are all facing. Even when Sri Lankans were struggling, they could be seen “partying in the stands” and showing their spirit for cricket.
