Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-01-20

Implementation of Sports & Physical Health Promotion National Week

- It has been revealed that less than 25% of the school children in Sri Lanka takes part in sports and when it comes to higher education, that percentage further declines to a position as low as 8%. As a result, the percentage vulnerable to non-communicable diseases due to wrong food habits, doping substances and smoking has gone up and it is found that 68% of deaths of persons below 65 years of age occur due to non-communicable diseases. Accordingly, in order to popularize sports and physical health among the entire community, the proposal made by Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, the Minister of Sports, to declare and implement a 'Sports and Physical Health Promotion National Week' from 25th to 30th January 2016, throughout the island, in association with the relevant Ministries and all the Provincial Councils, was approved by the Cabinet.

* Monday the 25th January -
Sports and Physical Fitness Promotion Day for Government and Public Service.

* Tuesday the 26th January -
Sports and Physical Fitness Promotion Day for Education, Higher Education and Highways, Youth and Women's Affairs .

* Wednesday the 27th January -
Sports and Physical Fitness Promotion Day for Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine.

* Thursday the 28th January -
Sports and Physical Fitness Promotion Day for Security Forces and Private Enterprises.

* Friday the 29th January -
Sports and Physical Fitness Promotion Day for Sports Organizations, Sports Associations and Sports Federations.

* Saturday the 30th January -
Sports and Physical Fitness Promotion Special Day.