Lankans get set to celebrate Independence Day tomorrow

Members of the Sri Lankan community in Qatar are gearing to celebrate their country’s 65th Independence Day. The event will be held at the Radisson Blu hotel tomorrow starting at 5pm. The Sri Lankan Independence Day falls on February 4. The programme is being organised by the Sri Lankan Embassy in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Co-ordinating Committee Qatar. Sri Lankan Ambassador Jayantha Palipane will be the chief guest at the event. A 15-member cultural troupe from Sri Lanka’s Rivega Dance Studio has arrived in Qatar to perform, according to SLCC Qatar president Lenny Cramer. The troupe includes choreographer Rangika Jeewantha, popular artistes Rodney Warnakula, Giriraj Kaushalya and Priyantha Seneviratne. The programme will be compered by Hema Nalin Karunaratne. Doha-based Sri Lankan musical band Black Cats Sri Lankan Music Fans Club will provide the music. Children from the dance academies of Senuranga Dance Troupe with choreographer Asanka Salwathura and Dinu Ranga Kalayathanaya with choreographer Dinuk Lawrance will showcase their talents during the cultural-cum-variety programme. Tickets to the event, priced at QR100 (limited numbers), QR50 and QR35 are available at all Sri Lankan outlets. More details could be had by calling Ranjith Gurusinghe (66580392), Dhammika Jayasena (55654241) or Anura Hettigoda (55967017). The official sponsor of the programme is Readymix Qatar. The platinum sponsor is QTel, and the main sponsors are Commercialbank of Qatar and Sri Lankan Airlines.