renowned as the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean"
The IIFA 2010 celebrations in Colombo, the bustling heart of Sri Lanka, reached their pinnacle with the Micromax IIFA Awards. The 3 day Videocon IIFA Weekend 2010 showcased the IIFA Foundation Fashion Extravaganza, FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum, IIFA Foundation Celebrity Cricket Match, IIFA Film Workshops and the ultimate in glitz – the Micromax IIFA Awards.
The Videocon IIFA Weekend garnered massive international coverage for the country, showcasing Sri Lanka as the destination of choice for business enterprise and tourism. Deputy Minister of Economic Development for Sri Lanka- Hon. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said, “With the dawn of the new era in our island, Sri Lanka, which is renowned as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” has great potential in expanding its vistas in Investment, Tourism, Agriculture and other sectors that will immensely contribute towards the rapid development drive initiated by the Government.”
Our accredited DESIblitz.com team in Sri Lanka captured on video some exciting moments from the weekend. In particular glimpses of the stars at the IIFA Foundation Celebrity Cricket Match and the Micromax IIFA Awards event.
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Speaking on the way forward and growing importance of the Sri Lanka-India partnership, Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International said, “IIFA is pleased to partner with Sri Lanka Tourism to initiate engagement and discussion for exciting projects, focused on the north and east regions of Sri Lanka. Our work with the UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity and the discussions at the FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum, will bring focus to the development and reconciliation process at Sri Lanka.”
The first night of the IIFA weekend saw the trendsetting IIFA Foundation Fashion Extravaganza which was a trail blazed event in Colombo, with Indian and Sri Lankan fashion designers showcasing their collections. The stylish duo of Viveik Oberoi and Dia Mirza hosted the trendy night. The extravaganza was presented by Avirate Fashions from Timex Garments in association with Gitanjali Lifestyle.
This year, the fashion extravaganza, ‘IIFA Rocks’ featured Indian designers Manish Malhotra and Vikram Phadnis and leading Sri Lankan designers Yoland and Kanchana (KT Brown).
Day two included the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum presented by ERI (Environmental Resources Investment PLC.) The Forum inaugurated by HE the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa and was addressed by respected personalities from the world of business, entertainment and cricket from India and Sri Lanka.
A key event from the weekend was the IIFA Foundation Celebrity Cricket Match, in support of UNICEF’s ‘Cricket for Children’ project, played between India’s top cinema stars and Sri Lankan cricketers. Mandira Bedi, Chunky Pandey and Javed Jaffrey hosted the match. Team captains of the three teams, Suniel Shetty, Kumar Sangakkara and Hrithik Roshan put on a great show for the crowds.
Playing for the IIFA XI were Dino Morea, Vinod Kambli and Kiran More, among others while Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahila Jayawardene played for Kumar Sangakkara’s team, Sangakkara XI.
Vivek Oberoi was present at the cricket match and said he enjoyed the warmth from the hosting nation of the IIFA’s, and when asked about the traditional music and dance, he said, “I absolutely love it, I love the girls doing the pretty dancing and with their eyes, and all that! It’s really really pretty.”
The Videocon IIFA Weekend culminated into the IIFA night of nights, with the Micromax IIFA Awards 2010, on 5th June 2010. Audiences witnessed an exciting star studded line-up of performances from the likes of Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu, Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Sri Lanka’s, Jacqueline Fernandez.
The Videocon IIFA Weekend and the Micromax IIFA Awards were hosted by the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).
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