On Saturday August 8, 2008, the same day the Olympics started in Beijing, the Sri Lanka Consulate in the USA in conjunction with the Sri Lanka Association of New York, awarded me a life-time achievement award (please see picture below). A good citizen by the name of Jay Liyanage, a sportsman himself in his youth, took the initiative to recognize my achievements in swimming in the early to mid 1960s, where I organized Learn-to-Swim campaigns in Sri Lanka teaching more than 10,000 poor village children in the finer art of swimming. If I changed the bias that poor village children cannot swim, I am sure Cullen Jones will succeed in changing the bias in the USA that blacks can't swim. In the picture below from left are: Theresa Liyanage, Jay Liyanage, Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in the USA, Merrill Cassell, receipient of the award, Ted Hussa, Mayor of Denville, New Jersey, Jasmine Jansz, President, Sri Lanka Association and New Jersey Congressman, Rodney Frelingheusen.
The award was presented in Denville, New Jersey, USA by Congressman Rodney Frelingheusen . The mayor of Denville has declared one day in August as the Sri Lanka Sports Day. Jay Liyanage made the presentation speech and Merill Cassell reciprocated.
Other pictures: Merrill and Maximilla Cassell
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