Royal felicitates one of its greatest all rounders
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Chairman of the Royal College Basketball Advisory and Management Committee Anshal Ambawatte, welcoming Retired Major General Dr. C Thurairaja to the event, in the presence of Madhava Siriwardena member of the Royal College Basketball Advisory and Management Committee and old Royalist Vikum Siriwardena.
‘Learn of books and learn of men and learn to play the game is a famous phrase in the Royal College anthem’. At the recently concluded Royal Cagers’ Night 2019 held at Havelock City Club House the first ever basketball captain of Royal College Retired Major General Dr. C Thurairaja was awarded the Lifetime Appreciation Award for his contribution to Basketball and other games in front of an august assembly of more than 100 past players justifying the above pharase.
Retired Major General Dr. C Thurairaja has represented Royal College in six sports, namely Basketball, Cricket, Rugby, Athletics, Badminton and Boxing, winning College Colours in four of them and subsequently entered Medical College and continued his sporting achievements by becoming the University Sportsman of the year in 1961 and 1962.
He became a triple international, captaining then Ceylon in Basketball and representing the country in Badminton and Golf. He is the only Sri Lankan to have represented the Country in two sports at Asian Games. Basketball in 1966 and Golf in 1982 and also was the Captain of the Sri Lankan contingent at the 1982 Asian Games. In addition to representing the country in three sports at international level, he played international rugby against foreign teams as a member of the Defence Services Team.
Chairman of the Royal College Basketball Advisory and Management Committee Anshal Ambawatte, handing over a plaque of appreciation to Retired Major General Dr. C Thurairaja, in the presence of Senior Games Master of Royal College, Mr. Riyaz Alaher.
Apart from his achievements his contribution to sports medicine has been commendable. He was the youngest doctor of the sports medicine unit of Ministry of Sports when the unit was established in 1968. A pioneer member of the Sports Medicine Association of Sri Lanka established in 1992 later became the Vice President of Asian Federation of Sports Medicine and an Executive Member of the International Federation of Sports Medicine.
Through such recognitions and gatherings Royal College Basketball Management and Advisory committee encourages superior performance and develop a passionate community to take basketball to the forefront. Also event also recognised past and current teachers-in-charge who have contributed to take the sport forward. The organisers wish to continue this event as an annual event.
Past and present teachers in charge of Royal College Basketball.