On the Occasion of the Foreign Minister’s Commendation Ceremony
2020/2/15
Ambassador's Speech
Mr. Periyasamy Pillai Selvaraj, Additional Secretary/ Bilateral Affairs (East) at the Ministry of Foreign Relations
Mr. Sisira Kumara, President, Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation,
Promising Karate Players in Sri Lanka,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon, Ayu Bowan, Wanakkam, こんにちは。
First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate young Karate champions for their outstanding performance at the Ambassador’s Cup held earlier today. I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Sri Lanka- Karate-Do Federation for jointly organizing this exhilarating tournament with the Embassy of Japan, which showcased great enthusiasm and passion of the Karate players in this beautiful island country. As I mentioned at the opening ceremony this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the sheer number of Karate players in Sri Lanka, no less than half a million, makes the Karate the most popular sports in the island excelled only by cricket. I cannot overstate the great contribution made by Mr. Sisira Kumara, the President of the Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation, in this regard, introducing Karate throughout the country over four long decades.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with this profound gratitude and high respect that I, on behalf of the Government of Japan, take great pleasure in conferring the Foreign Minister’s Commendation on Mr. Sisira Kumara today. It is heartening to learn that Mr. Kumara’s interest for Karate stems from his deep admiration for this Japanese martial art which cultivates both inner quality and physical skill simultaneously.
To share the merit of this ancient martial art with younger fellows, for the benefit of their healthy development of body and mind, Mr. Kumara dedicated his wholehearted efforts in spreading Karate in schools across the island while enhancing their technique through jointly working with the Sri Lanka School of Karate Association. This initiative extended to the girl’s college as well where many female students are now showing greater promises to contend at the national and international tournaments.
To his credit, Mr. Kumara has personally trained approximately 2,000 Karate players, many of whom participated in the Asian Games and secured victories there. Given that Karate is now qualified as an official sport in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games which will be held this summer, I am certain that the popularity of Karate will further increase world-wide including Sri Lanka, supported by greater opportunity to appreciate the refined beauty of this martial art.
Mr. Kumara’s longstanding association as a friend of Japan has further strengthened our friendly relations ever since he was appointed as the President of the Sri Lanka Karate–Do Federation. With the new momentum generated by the conferment of this prestigious Foreign Minister’s Commendation, I would like to commit myself to further promoting Karate in Sri Lanka and deepen our mutual understanding by joining hands tightly with Mr. Kumara.
Last but not least, kindly allow me to express my heartfelt appreciation to Mr. Periyasamy Pillai Selvaraj, Additional Secretary/ Bilateral Affairs (East) at the Ministry of Foreign Relations for sparing his valuable time to grace this auspicious occasion. Honourable Minister’s kind presence has certainly augmented the honour and distinction of this Commendation, which will encourage and uplift the spirit of the entire population of Karate players in Sri Lanka.
On this note and expressing my sincere congratulations to Mr. Kumara, together with my best wish for his success in the future, I would like to conclude my remarks.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Mr. Sisira Kumara, President, Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation,
Promising Karate Players in Sri Lanka,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon, Ayu Bowan, Wanakkam, こんにちは。
First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate young Karate champions for their outstanding performance at the Ambassador’s Cup held earlier today. I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Sri Lanka- Karate-Do Federation for jointly organizing this exhilarating tournament with the Embassy of Japan, which showcased great enthusiasm and passion of the Karate players in this beautiful island country. As I mentioned at the opening ceremony this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the sheer number of Karate players in Sri Lanka, no less than half a million, makes the Karate the most popular sports in the island excelled only by cricket. I cannot overstate the great contribution made by Mr. Sisira Kumara, the President of the Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation, in this regard, introducing Karate throughout the country over four long decades.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with this profound gratitude and high respect that I, on behalf of the Government of Japan, take great pleasure in conferring the Foreign Minister’s Commendation on Mr. Sisira Kumara today. It is heartening to learn that Mr. Kumara’s interest for Karate stems from his deep admiration for this Japanese martial art which cultivates both inner quality and physical skill simultaneously.
To share the merit of this ancient martial art with younger fellows, for the benefit of their healthy development of body and mind, Mr. Kumara dedicated his wholehearted efforts in spreading Karate in schools across the island while enhancing their technique through jointly working with the Sri Lanka School of Karate Association. This initiative extended to the girl’s college as well where many female students are now showing greater promises to contend at the national and international tournaments.
To his credit, Mr. Kumara has personally trained approximately 2,000 Karate players, many of whom participated in the Asian Games and secured victories there. Given that Karate is now qualified as an official sport in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games which will be held this summer, I am certain that the popularity of Karate will further increase world-wide including Sri Lanka, supported by greater opportunity to appreciate the refined beauty of this martial art.
Mr. Kumara’s longstanding association as a friend of Japan has further strengthened our friendly relations ever since he was appointed as the President of the Sri Lanka Karate–Do Federation. With the new momentum generated by the conferment of this prestigious Foreign Minister’s Commendation, I would like to commit myself to further promoting Karate in Sri Lanka and deepen our mutual understanding by joining hands tightly with Mr. Kumara.
Last but not least, kindly allow me to express my heartfelt appreciation to Mr. Periyasamy Pillai Selvaraj, Additional Secretary/ Bilateral Affairs (East) at the Ministry of Foreign Relations for sparing his valuable time to grace this auspicious occasion. Honourable Minister’s kind presence has certainly augmented the honour and distinction of this Commendation, which will encourage and uplift the spirit of the entire population of Karate players in Sri Lanka.
On this note and expressing my sincere congratulations to Mr. Kumara, together with my best wish for his success in the future, I would like to conclude my remarks.
Thank you for your kind attention.