Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa departed Thursday to witness the Saturday’s World Cup final Cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia in Bridgetown, Barbados.Rajapaksa had departed heading for Barbados in the Caribbean islands to witness the final match, said Chandrapala Liyanage, a senior Presidential Secretariat official, adding that the president was invited by the Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur.”The president’s visit indicates his appreciation of efforts of the national cricket team in reaching the world cup final,” Liyanage said. Cricket, a legacy of Sri Lanka’s colonization of Britain is the island’ most popular sport. The island enjoys a top position among the cricket playing nations in the world and was one of the 16 nations participating in the World Cup which began on March 13. Sri Lankan government has plans for an elaborate welcome ceremony for the cricketers when they return home irrespective of the outcome of the World Cup final. Source: Xinhua