Sri Lanka’s band left playing the blues after stunning World Cup upset to minnows Namibia – By Daniel Brettig Source : smh Sri Lanka’s army of Australian fans brought tremendous noise, colour and verve to the Twenty20 World Cup’s opening day in Geelong, only to watch unfancied Namibia conjure an almighty upset to start the tournament. Extra trains and buses were put on to get supporters down to Kardinia Park on a pristine spring afternoon, helping to reel in a crowd of almost 13,000 for the game. They were to be confounded first by the sight of Namibia posting a challenging 7-163 for their heroes to chase, and then by Sri Lanka’s collapse to a vast, 55-run defeat. Dihan Nammuni Dewage, trumpeter in the Papare Band Melbourne that has followed the Sri Lankan team’s fortunes around the world for some 20 years, balanced mounting anxiety at the fall of Sri Lankan ...

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Papare Band Melbourne – a taste of Sri Lankan culture – Story by Marie Pietersz – Photos courtesy of Band   Papare Band Melbourne – a taste of Sri Lankan culture: Story by Marie Pietersz Photos courtesy of Band This year the Papare Band made an appearance at the Australia Day parade in Melbourne at the invitation of the Consular General of Sri Lanka for Victoria, W.G.S. Prasanna. The Sri Lankan community sees the band as a significant part of the Sri Lankan culture in sport and this has now extended to other Australian events. The Papare Band Melbourne is a well-known feature of sideline entertainment at Australian cricket matches. They now have a presence in the Australian sporting calendar, performing at AFL and Soccer League games and in demand by Councils for community events. Dihan Nammuni Dewage is the leader of the Band and has this to say on how it started: “I first ...

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