Sri Lanka bans violent cricket World Cup song
COLOMBO: A World Cup song which carries threats against defending champions Australia as well as earthquake-hit New Zealand has been banned on orders of the Sri Lankan president.
The song warns that Ricky Ponting’s Australians will end up as bird food while New Zealanders, still reeling from the Christchurch quake, could have their jaws broken.
President Mahinda Rajapakse heard the Sinhalese and Tamil mixed song and wanted it taken off all state-run radio and television channels, an official close to the president told AFP.
He also censured sports authorities for allowing the “insulting” lyrics.
“The president was appalled that the song was allowed in the first place,” the official said.
“He felt the song was in poor taste. What he wants is a song to inspire the team and fans and not insult other nations.”
The president saw a video clip of the song when he turned up to watch Sri Lanka play Canada at their opening game at Hambantota on Sunday when the home side won by 210 runs.
A Sri Lankan cricket official said the song was the initiative of a private company which was sponsoring the national team.
Several private radio and television channels have also accepted that the song was in poor taste and stopped broadcasting it.
Sri Lanka, who are co-hosting the World Cup with Bangladesh and India, has already run into trouble with fans after banning music and placards at match venues.
Following intense criticism, police have relaxed bans on placards, posters and banners.
AFP
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sunil also sings poor taste songs many times using all slang words.I think son is also following his foot steps
Whats wrong in this… didnt mean anything it says.. Something good for people to enjoy.. Crazy..
During the War of Liberation we had beautiful songs sung by out heroic soldiers that inspired them to achieve greater victories. We need songs of that calibre to inspire our cricket team to achieve great victories with bat and ball and good fielding, victory after victory till the cup is won fairly and squarely.
As the Hon President rightly said, this particular song is of poor taste and a shame on our great nation. Such songs should not only be banned but also the people who write such lyrics and produce the songs should be punished for inciting hatred, which is against morality and our spirit of Buddhism in this year of Sambuddhatva Jayanthi.
So much hype for just a song! Why are the international media misinterpreting the lyrics! I am annoyed that
some reports are trying to portray some kind of major conspiracy behind this issue!