On November 2, 2023, the prestigious Colombo Colts Cricket Club Grounds hosted the 8th Annual Soft Ball Cricket Tournament, organized by the Sri Lanka Food Processors Association (SLFPA). This highly anticipated event brought together 45 teams consisting of both men and women, representing 38 member companies eager to claim the coveted SLFPA Challenge Shield. The tournament, conducted on a league basis, not only showcased sporting prowess but also fostered a strong sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and understanding among the employees of participating member companies.
The teams, hailing from diverse sectors such as Processed Food, Processed Beverages, Machinery & Packaging, International Food Certification, Food Ingredients, and Casual Dining, competed fiercely for the championship. The tournament has become a hallmark in the calendars of professionals in the Processed Food Industry, serving as a platform for professionals from various organizations to come together in the spirit of fun and sportsmanship, with a special focus on including the families of the participating teams this year.
Country Style Foods (Pvt) Limited, represented by Team SMAK, emerged as the deserving winners, while CBL Foods International (Pvt) Ltd secured the position of runners-up. Ceylon Biscuits Ltd clinched the Plate winner’s title. The Man of the Match award was bestowed upon Mr. Tharaka Danush from Country Style food (Pvt) Ltd, and the Woman of the Match award went to Ms. M.D. Niroshangani from CBL Foods International (Pvt) Ltd.
Beyond the cricket field, participants enthusiastically engaged in parallel events, including a karaoke competition, dance competition, and best-decorated tent competition. The karaoke competition, marked by intense competition, led to the unique decision of selecting two champions – Mr. Ranga Muthunayake from Perfetti Van Mally and Ms. Selani Lasathma from Maple Packaging (Pvt) Ltd. The dance competition saw Mr. Madhawa from Perfetti Van Mally and Ms. Sandali from Control Union (Pvt) Ltd securing two awards for Best Female Karaoke and Best Dance.
Control Union (Pvt) Ltd took home the accolade for the Best-Decorated Tent, with Neo Chem (Pvt) Ltd claiming the second position. The event was made possible through the generous support of sponsors, with “Elephant House” as the Platinum Sponsor, SGS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and CBL Group as Gold Sponsors, and Life Insurance Corporation (Lanka) Ltd (LIC) and Sena Mills Refineries (Pvt) Ltd as Silver Sponsors. Lanka Exhibitions & Conference Services Ltd (LECS) was the Event Partner.
Founded in 1997 as an advocacy group, the Sri Lanka Food Processors Association currently consists of over 140 member companies which include large and multinational, small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) committed to the development of the country’s processed food and beverage industry. The Association consists of members from all relevant sub-sectors addressing issues such as national policy and regulations, intra-regional cooperation, technology, knowledge transfer and marketing. The Association further offers leadership to the small but vibrant National Processed Food Industry. Vital to the island nation’s agro-based economy, the sector directly employees over three hundred thousand persons while supporting over four million backstream producers.
