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Second annual Kilithattu tournament takes place in Canada

Over 20 teams battled it out to claim the Tamil Eelam Heritage Trophy, at Canada’s second annual Kilithattu tournament earlier this month.

Following the success of last year’s event, the Kilithattu tournament returned with many of last year’s teams, and plenty of new ones, with high schools, colleges and universities all taking part.

The participants all chose team names that reflected their Eelam identity, with teams such as Vaddukoddai Warriors and Ellalan Kings taking part.

The final saw defending champions Eelam 89ers take on the Flying Leopards in a tightly contested match. The game ended 2-1, with the Eelam 89ers once again being crowned the champions and taking the Tamil Eelam Heritage Trophy home.

The captain of the winning team Eelam 89ers said,

“This tournament is a really great way of bringing together different age groups for something as positive as preserving our identity. It’s really important for us to keep holding events like Kiliththattu because it’s an avenue where youth can participate and have fun at the same time.”

Speaking to TamilNet, Thushitha Kobikrishna, a member of TYO Canada said,

“Ki'liththaddu is a game that is part of our rich heritage and through initiatives like this one we prove that the younger generation has the power to keep our identity from being erased”.

Kilithattu, the national game of Tamil Eelam, has grown in popularity since the inaugural tournament hosted by the Tamil Youth Organisation last year.

See last year’s event here: Kilithattu inspires next generation of Eelam Tamils (23 October 2011)

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