Football field

NL

Arugam Bay and its surrounding beaches are a paradise for surfers in Sri Lanka. The main street is lined with restaurants, souvenir shops and cappuccino cafés, largely catering to Western tourists. The monotonous bass from beach bars and full-moon parties alternates with the morning call to prayer from the mosque.

Just behind this busy hotspot lies the school football field, a rough, uneven stretch of land filled with holes, parts of it scattered with cow dung. At first glance, it looks like a place where the next hotel chain might soon rise.

But this is the most important meeting place for local youngsters, who gather here after school to play their favourite sport. For them, football is number one. Ages and religions come together on this field: half of the players wear football boots, the other half play barefoot. Not a single tourist is in sight.