‘Angampora’ crash course for Tony Greig

Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Mel Gunasekera

Sri Lanka’s new tourism ambassador on Monday got a crash course in learning ancient martial arts including movements to hold, grip, lock, knuckle, elbow, strike vital points on opponents’ bodies.

Tony Greig, former English cricketer and international commentator, was rooted to his seat, as a bevy of shirtless martial arts men demonstrated how to inflict 107 pressure points and 12 death points on opponents.

“These are only demonstrations performed by highly trained people,” said a female compere while explaining the ancient Sri Lankan martial art form known as ‘angampora’ to a bemused Greig.

Practised long before karate and kung-fu made an appearance, Angampora had been used to inflict damages on the Dutch and British who colonised Sri Lanka. The fighters’ armoury includes swords, daggers, spears, axe, knuckle-duster, bow and arrows and canes. The British later banned it, during their rule of Sri Lanka that ended in 1948.

Greig, 64, did not comment on the martial arts performance, but said at the start of the recital that he was delighted to be associated with Sri Lanka as a tourism ambassador.

“I’ve been coming to Sri Lanka since 1968,” the six foot all-rounder said addressing a public discussion on sports and tourism in Colombo.

“But I’ve been best known for predicting that Sri Lanka will win the cricket World Cup, way back in 1995,” he said.

Sri Lanka went on to lift the trophy in Lahore in 1996, which endeared Greig with people in this Indian Ocean Island nation.

Sri Lanka was finalists in 2007, and currently one of the favourites to win the ongoing tournament that is jointly hosted with India and Bangladesh.

Greig, who sprinkles his commentaries with warm anecdotes about Sri Lankan cricketers and the tourism hotspots, cited the hospitality as one of the main reasons that brings him and his family back to Sri Lanka often.

“We holiday in Fiji or Sri Lanka. My family are into adventure, into sports. But the people are warm and hospitable. People are the cornerstone of tourism here,” he said.

With decades long war ending in May 2009, he urged authorities not to “rush in and build” hotels, but to first build infrastructure, so that tourists, like himself, can experience the tourist products better.

He said Sri Lanka’s spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan was one of the greatest brand ambassadors for the country. Muralitharan had a chequered international career as a deformity in his elbow gave the impression that he was chucking the ball.

“Murali was doubted, but always cleared. And I supported him all the way,” Greig said of the bowler who holds the world records for 800 Test wickets and 522 one-day scalps.

Having greeted a record 600,000 visitors in 2010, Sri Lanka is hoping to attract over 700,000 foreign guests this year, to savour its golden beaches, misty mountains, cultural heritage and abundant wildlife.

Greig said he will do his best to attract more visitors, with a “smile” on his face.

“I’ve been doing a selling job for years. I did it because I love this place, made so many good friends. It’s a privilege to be asked by the Tourist Board to come and play a role.”