30th January 2000
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Nine countries for South Asian C'ships
Nine nations will participate in the ITF South Asian Championships to be worked off at Islamabad, Pakistan between January 30 and February 13, 2000. The following nations will participate at the tournament. They are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The 14 and under Sri Lankan contingent will be represented by the following players:
1. Nawchali De Silva - Burha Serandib International 2. Erangi Dias - Asian International 3. Mahesha Seneviratne - Bishops College 4. Nishan Rajakaruna - Colombo International 5. Sasith Wickremasinghe - Royal College 6. N. S. Nishendran - S. Thomas' College (Prep).
Mr. Jagath Welikala will accompany the team as Manager/Coach.
The Sri Lanka Tennis Association organized an in-house three weeks specialized training camp in Tennis at the Ramesh Krishnan Tennis Academy, Chennai, India in December 1999. The players have gained considerably by this exposure and have expressed a heightened sense of knowledge and skill after this experience. Undoubtedly the hard training will stand in good stead at the Championship Tournament that will soon be worked off. This specialized training was augmented by the training conducted by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association just prior to the selection of the team for participation at the forthcoming Championships.
The 14 and under ITF Championships will be unique in that, the first three days of the Tournament will be set aside to expose all players to a brief but intense session of coaching by ITF appointed Coaches.
The tournament itself will commence only after this period of coaching.
The players will arrive today (Sunday) January 30, 2000.
Training/Coaching Camp - Monday 31 Jan. - Wednesday 2nd Feb. First Tournament - Thursday 3rd Feb.- Monday 7th Feb. 2nd Tournament - Tuesday 8th Feb.-Saturday 12th February.
The Championships will be supported by the Grand Slam Development Fund of the ITF Junior World Ranking Code of Conduct and will be used throughout the Tournament.
All matches will be a best of three - tie break sets. ITF points will be awarded for all events worked out.
Based on the performance of the players at the tournament a team will be selected from the participating teams on the basis of a maximum of two boys and two girls from the same country to represent the ITF South Asian team to participate in a Tournament to be played against the ITF East Asian team in the month of April, 2000. Selected players will receive sponsorship of travel, accommodation and food.
The strong team at the tournament will be India and it is hoped that our players would be able to meet them on equal terms. The Sri Lanka Tennis Association and the players have expressed confidence of their ability to meet the challenges that come their way and overcome same.
Notwithstanding the individual performance, the young participants are agreed that what matters most is that they try their best and bring honour to the country and the sport by their effort and conduct on and off the field.
With such an attitude shown by sportsmen and women so young one can feel reasonably confident that the future of the game of tennis is in very safe hands, in Sri Lanka.
Oliver trained Edwin for an Empire 'Gold'
By Marcus Joseph
With the recent death of Oliver Perera, Attorney-at-Law, Panadura, Sri Lanka lost a sportsman of the highest calibre who rendered yeoman service for the promotion of sports.
His achievement was unique in that he had the distinction of being coach in boxing, cricket and swimming for senior boys and girls of his alma mater, St. John's College, Panadura.
It is all the more remarkable that some of whom he coached excelled in inter-school competitions and later represented the country in their respective fields.
As a student of St. John's College, Panadura, Oliver, as he is affectionately called, was an outstanding sportsman during the Golden Era of the College, 1935 to 1950.
He played for the College Cricket XI in 1935 and won his colours in boxing, swimming and athletics. Leaving school he was called to serve as Cricket Advisor of the College in the absence of reputed cricket coach G.C. Roberts who was mobilised during the war. He let the senior players handle cricket by themselves and concentrated to coach senior girls of both the College and the girls' school at cricket with a sense of dedication.
However, his biggest challenge in later years was to prepare K. Edwin his schoolmate who was by the time the Boarding Master of the College for the Empire Games in 1950. Edwin, under his guidance had to do strenuous physical training which included wood chopping with a hand axe for hours in the hot sun.
This enabled Edwin to gain physical fitness and strength and courage to fight his local opponents in the ring whom he knocked down some with ease. This made him the automatic choice to represent Sri Lanka at the Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand in 1950. How he fought his opponents and lost the finals on technical points is too well known.
On his return to Sri Lanka with his Silver medal the people gave him a hero's welcome. On reaching home at Etambagoda, Panadura, it is said that there were many receptions arranged for him but Edwin first of all went to see his friend and coach Oliver, residing in the neighbourhood and offered him his gratitude. Such humble sportsmen are very rare indeed today.
Oliver who was a fine swimmer himself was very helpful to the Johnian swimmers at the time. His uncle, Stanley Senanayake, the former IGP who was also a student of St. John's was also trained by Oliver. He excelled in inter-school meets and later participated in All-Island competitions. W.W. Joseph was another Johnian swimmer during this period who later representing Kinross SC, Colombo in All-Island competitions did creditably well winning events on several occasions. Both did the 100 and 200 yards Free Style.
Oliver coached Johnian girls at cricket. In 1948 three Johnian girls - Beverly Roberts, the pretty daughter of G.C.Roberts, Leela Abeykoon and Phyllis de Silva were selected to play for the All-Ceylon Women's Cricket XI against the English Women's team on their way to Australia. The three girls excelled in this game and two of them who caught the public eye won special commendation, Leela for excellent wicket-keeping and Beverly for superb fielding. In fact after the match it was said that the England skipper went to the dressing room of the local girls and commended the three of them for their excellent performances on the field. Late Reggie Perera, the LSSP stalwart who escaped from prison together with NM, Colvin, Leslie and others and years later became a senator and thereafter a member of parliament and ambassador was the elder brother of Oliver. He too was a reputed school boy boxer.
As a coach in any field of sports Oliver was a genius who devoted his time and energy without any remuneration whatsoever for the sake of his old school and such men are very rare today in local sports. Although not a Johnian, the writer was privileged to associate with Oliver during the latter part of his life. May he attain Nibbana!
Oil drilling in Pesalai
My Police Memories
By S. Sivendran
(Retd. Snr. Supdt. of Police)
On 1.7.73 I reported on transfer at Vavuniya Police station after attending a series of farewell functions by the people of Kayts and the neighbouring islands who expressed their appreciation and gratitude to me for the services rendered to them for a period of nearly three years which were very touching because when I went to Kayts I was a stranger but when I left I had become a household name in the entire area.
When I went to Vavuniya I left my wife and the three little daughters along with my pet daschhounds Liza and Bruno with my mother at our parental home in Thunnalai as it was difficult finding a suitable house in Vavuniya. After a few months, I found a new house along Station Road, Vavuniya and brought my family to take up residence with me. Before their coming I stayed in the Bachelors Quarters along with Inspector D.R. Udawatte, a very Senior Police Officer who was in charge of crimes at Vavuniya who too had left his family at his hometown in Horana. The others living there were Sub Inspector Sisira Mendis, a product of Nalanda College and a decent young lad just out from Police Training School who played cricket for his Alma Mater. He is today a Superintendent of Police in the Criminal Investigation Department. Lihil Sumanaweera, another young and smart Sub Inspector just passed out of Police Training School whose father D.A. Sumanaweera too was in the Police and died whilst on duty when he was working as Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of Kalutara Division. His father's younger brother D.S. Sumanaweera too died whilst in service when he was Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of Kegalle. Lihil attended Dharmaraja College, Kandy and represented his school in athletics, cricket and football. He is today an A.S.P. at Police Headquarters. Sub Inspector F.A. Gnanendran, a very intelligent officer, educated at Jaffna Central College who was doing Crimes in Mannar and was transferred to Vavuniya when his S.P. wrote in the crime file of an accused in an unknown murder case that he should crack the case at any cost for which he wrote back in the crime file to S.P. that he would crack the case even if it comes to cracking a few skulls, which angered the S.P. Nevertheless he was a good investigator who solved the Thismada ravine murder case where a young graduate girl was taken to the Kadugannawa ravine and was murdered by her own villagers by slitting open her throat due to jealousy as she was from a very poor family and had managed to pass out of the University and was employed in the A.G.A.'s office as a graduate trainee which the affluent people in the area couldn't stomach. Gnani investigated into this murder successfully and got a conviction and the suspects were sent to gallows.
Sub Inspector Ceaser Ranaweera, a fair handsome young man from St. John's Bosco who too was just out of Police Training School. He is today an S.P. in the Police Higher Training Institute. Sub Inspector A.C.M. Shahabdeen, the younger brother of "Man Mountain" D.I.G. A.C.A. Gafoor. He later became an A.S.P. and was killed by insurgents in 1989 when he was working in the Ministers' Security Division as bodyguard to the former Minister in the U.N.P. Government, M.H. Mohammad. Sub Inspector Donald Ganeshkumar, a very talented cricketer from Jaffna Central College who played cricket for his college and later represented the Sri Lanka Youth National Cricket team that toured Australia in the early sixties. He was dark and lean and played as an all-rounder in the Carribbean style. He died early in life. Sub Inspector W.G. Premadasa, a big made officer who is now Assistant Superintendent of Police in Dambulla.
The Headquarters Inspector of Vavuniya was Mithra Siriwardena who kept wickets and opened batting for Nalanda College and later for the Police, who was associated with the Government Services Cricket Association for a long period and later was its President. He also served in the Board of Control for Cricket. He retired recently as Deputy Inspector General of Police. The Assistant Superintendent of Police Vavuniya was Justin Upasena, an old Wesleyite who later retired as S.S.P. The A.S.P. in charge of Mannar was A.R.H. Miskin, a keen hunter and a boxer who had to retire early due to a petty minded superior according to him, which was very unfortunate and which led to his early death. He was a fine officer and a gentleman.
The Superintendent of Police officer in charge of Vavuniya and Mannar was the legendery R.C. Thavarajah who was a brilliant Police Officer and an efficient investigator who served in the Criminal Investigation Department for the major part of his Police career in the company of another great Police Officer Tyrrel Gunatillake whose name is synonymous with the C.I.D. Christy Thavarajah spoke the Queen's language with pride and perfection and his reports were flowery and he had a fine sense of humour and was a great mimic who always quoted from the book Complete Works of Shakespeare. He made a great contribution at parties with his inimitable humour and wit which was par excellence.
During my brief stay in Vavuniya the Vavuniya Police did well at cricket and rugger. The Vavuniya team participated in the All Island Police Inter Division cricket tournament for the J.R. Jayewardene Trophy even though Vavuniya did not have a proper cricket ground or a cricket pitch, leave alone a matting wicket. We practised under the watchful eyes of R.C. Thavarajah and the coaching of Mithra Siriwardena in the Urban Council grounds which was all the time overgrown with weeds. But inspite of these handicaps we did well in the tournament in Colombo. We took on a powerful Chilaw team at the Police grounds, Bambalapitiya and beat them. Chilaw had some great cricketing personalities such as L.M.P. 'Lumpy' de Silva who played cricket for S. Thomas' College who was then S.S.P. in charge of Chilaw and later was promoted Deputy Inspector General of Police. T.K. "Tikka" Jayasinghe, another Thomian cricketer who captained the Chilaw team. He was Headquarters' Inspector in Chilaw. Sub Inspector D.G.D. Edwards, a former cricketer from Christian College, Kotte, who is now S.S.P. in charge of Chilaw. Sub Inspector Ananda Guneratne, a left arm fast bowler from Maliyadeva College who ran through the Kurunegala Police team in their previous match and got them out for a mere 29 runs. Van Sanden, a tidy cricketer to name a few.
When the Vavuniya Police cricket team came to the Police grounds at Bambalapitiya it was a big laugh for the Chilaw team and L.M.P. de Silva who told "Tikka" Jayasinghe that if he won the toss to put Vavuniya into bat so that they could repeat what they did to Kurunegala by skittling the Vavuniya team to a small score and then knock up the runs before lunch and after which they could see an English movie in the afternoon and then get back to Chilaw. But what happened to the match thereafter is history which made L.M. de Silva speechless. Chilaw won the toss and invited Vavuniya to bat. Vavuniya sent Chilaw on a leather hunt and scored 241 runs with skipper Mithra Siriwardena stroking a stylish 65 runs and Sisira Mendis scoring a hard hit 75 runs. I too in my rugby style scored a hurricane 29 runs not out. Chilaw in reply batted meekly and was bundled out cheaply for only 91 runs which turned the Chilaw cricket team into a mourning party, whereas the Vavuniya team was celebrating their great victory with their S.P. R.C. Thavarajah at the Mess.
"Daily Mirror" of 11.09.73 reporting on this match stated: "Vavuniya Police Excel", "The Vavuniya Police Division cricket team defeated the Chilaw Police Division team in the 2nd round of the J.R. Jayewardene Inter Division cricket tournament at Police grounds recently."
Chilaw Division sent in Vavuniya to bat. A partnership of 104 runs for the 3rd wicket between M. Siriwardena, the captain of the Vavuniya side and A.N.S. Mendis enabled the Vavuniya team to pile up a sizeable total before the tea break. M. Siriwardena played a captain's innings and scored a masterly 65. Young Mendis scored 75. A brisk partnership of 30 runs for the 8th wicket between R.C. Thavarajah and Sivendran helped to swell the score to 241.
The Chilaw team started disastrously losing 3 wickets for 9 runs within 15 minutes of play and never recovered, chiefly due to a sustained spell of pace bowling by D.L. Sumanaweera and Mendis who between them captured nine scalps. Sumanaweera captured 5 for 36 and Mendis 4 for 40.
The Chilaw batsmen to offer any resistance was D.G. Edward who top scored with 42 runs out of a total of 93.
In rugby too the Vavuniya team did well under my captaincy winning the Kavan Rambukwella trophy for the best outstation team in 1974. In my team I had only S. Samaraweera who played for the Police in the Clifford Cup tournament as a centre three quarter during my period who knew anything of rugby. The others were all raw talent I picked up in the wilds of Vavuniya such as Sub Inspectors Sisira Mendis, Lihil Sumanaweera and some raw recruits who went on to humble the best of teams from Colombo C.I.D. and Training School and lost to Depot in the finals.
"The Sunday Times" of 10.3.74 reported on the Vavuniya Police win as follows: "Vavuniya Police win Rambukwella Cup", "Vavuniya Police under the able leadership of former Police skipper, Inspector S. Sivendran won the Kavan Rambukwella Trophy for the Best Outstation Team at the 7-a- side Rugby tournament organised by the Police Sports Club recently. Depot Police won the Layards Cup."
The historic drilling for oil by the Russians at Pesalai in the Mannar district took place during my period at Vavuniya and I was present at Pesalai when Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike who was then the Prime Minister arrived at Pesalai to inaugurate the historic drilling operation by starting the machines.
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