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The soul of sport with a smack of war
By Carlton Samarajiwa
Where has all the innocence of sport gone?. No longer are most games played in a spirit of sportsmanship just as politics today is no longer about statesmanship.

Watch the behaviour of bowlers who take wickets or strikers who kick goals,their clenched fists are followed by shrieks and howls from team members, bowlers somersault and jump over the wickets and strikers remove their jerseys and dash madly across the pitch jumping on the backs of fellow players.

The image is of savage triumph over the killing of an enemy, a battlefield victory. Ball games are said to carry a trace of racial memory when savages hunted the heads of the enemy tribe and then kicked the skulls around in celebration. The All Blacks routinely perform their intimidating Maori haka before their game -a symbol of psychological warfare.

Almost all sport today is not only competitive but also lucrative for commercialism has superseded the spirit of the games. Teams play to win not only the game but also unheard-of big money, for which purpose their most savage instincts of combat have to be aroused.

The Indian betting industry, who work overtime on the sidelines of cricket, make a packet. For example, this year 's India-England Test Series generated over 4 billion Indian rupees.

The ICC Champions Trophy played in Colombo generated a turnover of Sri Lankan Rs. 100 billion, reported an Indian newspaper.

Such benefits are by no means extravagent ,that accrue to a country through bat and ball. Cricket produces macro economic dividends. Who would want to question the positive value of the staggering 2.42 billion Srilankan rupees that the ICC Champions Trophy pumped into an ailing economy through the presence in Colombo of the world's best 12 cricket teams and their officials, TV crews and spectators? ICC Chief Executive Michael Speed spelt out the benefits as 10,000 nights in accommodation and BCCSL Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya claimed that the event filled up all the five-star hotels in Colombo. This is just what the doctor ordered to boost our tourism industry in the aftermath of the Tiger attack on the Katunayake Airport.

The winners of the ICC Champions Trophy (both Sri Lanka and India because of rain) received a mind-boggling US $ 690,000, ( Sri Lankan Rupees 65 million). The winners of the semi-finals: received US $ 125,000 while the winners of each pool game pocketed US $ 50,000. In addition, the ICC also paid each country US $ 165,000 as a participating fee. Sport is a money-spinner.

Sledging, nasty tactics, and contesting an umpire's decision if not verbally by gestures such as throwing the bat on the green in anger go against the grain of the game. The sleaze factor, match-fixing, ambush marketing, ball tampering and preparing the wicket to suit the home team -also produce a corrosive effect on the spirit of sport.

At the international level, sport is nothing short of international warfare, as cavalry commander Nathan Bedford Forrest of American Civil War fame said in the early 19th century, "Jorrocks saw in foxhunting the image of war without its guilt. Modern sport and the passions surrounding it arouse emotions similar to those aroused by war." When Russia lost to Japan at the Yokohama Stadium in the FIFA World Cup, 2002, drunken soccer fans watching the battle on a giant outdoor screen outside the Kremlin killed a man, stabbed a policeman and hurt over a hundred people. Hooligans smashed shop windows, looted boutiques, attacked Japanese restaurants and Japanese students, and overturned Japanese cars.

The belligerent behaviour of players is one thing, that of bellicose spectators who work themselves into a frenzy with their faces and skin-heads painted with flags is another. The scenes at Calcutta's Eden (also known as the Paradise garden in which God placed Adam) Park during the World Cup in 1996, when the Sri Lankan team led by Arjuna Ranatunga made history, are a case in point. So are the savage scenes of spectator hooliganism and mayhem at football internationals.

Streaking not only by men but also by women and also stabbing in the neck and shooting in the leg have become ridiculous features of barbaric spectator behaviour.

As if such behaviour were not enough to take away from the soul and innocence of sport. Sports reporters craft their headlines in languages that take away the true spirit of sport. Win and lose (not whether you won or lost...) are insufficient monosyllables to announce the result of a contest, whatever the game.

At the ICC Champions Trophy , the results had to be reported under headline metaphors that screamed militantly: 'Lions maul kangaroos,' Do-or-die battle for hosts Sri Lanka ', 'Bangladesh thrashed by nine wickets' , 'McGrath polishes Kiwis off ', 'England face defeat as India press on, Tresco thick guides England to stunning victory' , 'India blitz England to enter semis' and 'Dillon turns villain as Proteas nail Windies'.

The same is true of reports of other matches from all over the world. Examples: 'Kumble kills off England as Indian level series' (Leeds), 'India celebrate as Kaif stuns England' (London), 'Jayasuriya hits quickfire 100 after early Gough wicket' (Headingley), ' Muralitharan finds ruthless touch with 5 wicket haul' (Colombo), These colourful expressions smack of war, not sport.Matches are not matches any more but clashes. Runs are not scored, but slammed as in 'Aravinda slams double hundred' The metaphors are derived from warfare, which is what sport has become - imimic warfare. There is a relationship between modern sport and war, fierce passions are ignited by both.

Laugh Zone
Sweet aroma
There was once a great actor, who had a problem. He could no longer remember his lines. Finally after many years he finds a theatre where they are prepared to give him a chance to shine again.

The director says, "This is the most important part, and it has only one line. You must walk on to the stage carrying a rose, hold the rose with just one finger and your thumb to your nose, sniff the rose deeply and then say the line: 'Ah, the sweet aroma of my mistress.'"

The actor is thrilled. All day long before the play he's practising his line over and over again. Finally the time came. The curtain went up, the actor walked onto the stage and with great passion delivered the line, "Ah, the sweet aroma of my mistress."

The theater erupted, the audience was screaming with laughter, and the director was screaming. "You bloody fool!" he cried. "You have ruined me!"

The actor was bewildered. "What happened, did I forget my line?" he asked. "No!" the director screamed. "You forgot the bloody rose!"

Father O'Grady
Mary Clancy goes up to Father O'Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she's in tears. He says, "So what's bothering you, Mary my dear?" She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night."

The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?"

She says, "That he did, Father..." The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary?"

She says, "He said, 'Please Mary, put down that damn gun...'

Funny clips

These are "actual" clippings from church newspapers

It's amazing what proofreading would prevent:

  • The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoy sinning to join the choir.
  • Scouts are saving aluminium cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
  • The Lutheran men's group will meet at 6 PM. Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.
  • For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
  • Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered.
  • Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.
  • The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

Balangoda crafts on sale
By Vidushi Seneviratne
Since it was first held in 1976, the Balangoda Sale has established an enviable reputation for fine quality. This year will be no different, with a range of attractive and intricately designed items being produced by the girls of Good Shepherd Convent, Pinnawala, Balangoda.

"The girls who come to the convent from the surrounding villages produce these items. It's by selling them that they earn their living," explains Dushyanthi Wijewardene, the enthusiastic organiser of the sale. Usually the items produced are sold through Salu Sala and other shops, while some are sold at sales organised by St. Bridget's Convent. The tablecloths with exquisite work were evidence that much effort, combined with talent, had gone into each piece.

While tablecloths, serviettes, dusters, table mats and jug covers make up the items available as table linen, there's also a selection of bed linen, bed sheets and bedspreads. Handloom blouses are also made by the girls and a few batik items, kaftans, table cloths and serviettes. With the season fast approaching, there will be Christmas gifts available as well.

"The girls produce all the material by themselves," says Ms. Wijewardene, referring to the weaving, exquisite crochet, and embroidery work.Hardanger, a technique similar to drawn thread, is used for the clothes items.

"Back in the good old days, thanks to the lateCyril Gardiner, the Chairman of the Galle Face Hotel, the sales were held free of charge, in these premises. Now, years later, the hotel still lends its hand to this worthy cause, with the support of his son and present Chairman, Sanjiv Gardiner," Ms. Wijewardene said.

The Balangoda Sale will be held on the verandah of the Galle Face Hotel on October 26 from 10 a.m. to 5p.m.


The D.S. we'd liked to have known
Much has been written of the vision of Don Stephen Senanayake, his fine statecraft that transformed a British colony to an independent nation, and the vast strides he took in the spheres of agriculture farming and irrigation. Indeed, when viewing him as the "Father of the Nation" and how he stood tall in the face of British Imperialism, it is easy to lose sight of him as a human being.

Certainly, young Stephen did not follow the scholarly path of older brother Fredrick (FR) that led the latter to Cambridge University and subsequently to the Bar. Neither did the sophisticated administrative offices situated at Kanatte Road, Colombo (as known then) where oldest brother Charles (D.C. Senanayake) managed the family estates and plumbago mines hold much appeal.

Stephen's approach to things was more "hands on", and he was happiest working in the deep mines of Botale or engaging in one of his numerous agricultural endeavours in the vast acres of Babilaptaya, Botale or Koul wewa. This was perhaps how DS was able to inspire, the simple farming community to find new agricultural settlements in areas known to be inhospitable wastelands. The settlements that stand at Minneriya, Padaviya and Gal Oya, just to mention a few of his settlements tell us much of his achievements in a relatively short space of time. For agriculture, he knew, had a life long love for, experimented with, developed an obsessive passion for, and almost always mastered it.

His grandson Ranjit fondly recalls the numerous instances when he and his older brother Devinda were lifted up in the air by their grandfather and bundled into the bullock cart and whereupon they were taken through a lengthy excursion in the family estates, and made to experience the not entirely favourable taste of freshly drawn milk of one of the cows. The remainder of that bullock cart journey resulted in both boys being physically sick throughout the bumpy ride back, and grand dad the carter, being somewhat amused.

DS, as a young man was reputed for his extraordinary physical strength. Standing six feet and two inches, dark complexioned, ruggedly handsome and extremely energetic, he was the youngest son of Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake and his wife Catherine Elizabeth Senanayake. His formative years were in the village of Botale in Ambepussa, under the watchful eyes of the old Mudaliyar who was a shrewd and sharp businessman. His mother was a deeply religious woman, who encouraged DS in all his agricultural endeavours. Apart from his parents, one can easily infer that his older brother FR had a great influence on his life. After the temperance movement was founded by their father and the active role played by older brother FR which resulted in the incarceration of all three brothers on false allegations of involvement in the Muslim-Sinhala riots of 1915, DS himself began to take an interest in public life.

The execution of Henry Pedris by British officers left a deep impression on the Senanayake brothers and strengthened their resolve to carry out the struggle for independence. Leadership was left in the capable hands of F.R. Senanayake, until his sudden death while on pilgrimage in India on 1st January 1926. It was then that DS was suddenly propelled to the forefront, aided as always by their oldest brother D.C. Senanayake, the philanthropist.

It would correct to state that DS's advent into politics was somewhat of an accident, that is, his joining the temperance movement was more of a means to please his father than any desire on his part to be in public life. He stuck however to the principles of the movement throughout his life abstaining from alcohol. He was however a hard smoker, who found it difficult to sit still without the puff of a cigarette every ten minutes or so. He enjoyed relaxing at his clubs, the Orient and the Singhalese Sports Club, although after assuming office of premier this was relatively rare.

Whatever the official duties, he was never too busy for his school. The spirit of S. Thomas' reigned in his heart and rushed through his veins. He never missed the Royal-Thomian and was delighted to see both his sons Dudley and Robert play at the "big matches".

In particular Robert distinguished himself by captaining S. Thomas' and earning himself a place in the record books for a brilliant unbeaten half century. DS had himself played in the big matches of 1901 and 1902. He had however less luck with the bat than his sons, earning a pair of specs in 1901 and doing marginally better in 1902 where he made a single.However he made contributions to his side behind the wickets bringing off several splendid catches. When once a commentator stated that Prime Minister Senanayake put his school before his country, Senanayake corrected the misconception by adding, "the country before the school, but only by a short head".

Wrestling, boxing and football apart from his brilliance as a horseman made him somewhat of a legend in the sporting arena of S. Thomas' where he distinguished himself although not in the academic sense. The Warden at the time W.A. Stone wrote the following account on his leaving certificate. "D.S. Senanayake has been a pupil of the college since January 1893 where he entered the lowest Form, and leaves from Form Five. His conduct has been irreproachable, his work satisfactory and his influence most salutary. He has held the position of Dormitory Prefect for the last few months here."

A little known fact about D.S. Senanayake was his love for drama and theatre. As a young man his portrayal of King Rajasingha I at the Gampaha pageant was highly commended at the time. For DS participating in village affairs, pageants and fairs was natural.

He loved life in Botale where the ancestral home stood, he loved the village and the village folk and participated in the village events. Even as Prime Minister, he would make sure to keep in touch with his roots, and so found himself on the weekends, reclined in his favourite armchair in his characteristic sarong and long sleeved banyan, in the spacious verandah of the Botale walawwa.

Often, if a dispute arose among the heads of hundreds of villagers to whom he was a friend and advisor to, judge and jury surrounded him. They in turn loved, respected and absolutely trusted him. His closeness to the community amongst whom he grew up is reflected by an account related by the older villagers of Botale, about an incident of the then fatal chickenpox epidemic breaking out, and how one particular villager was isolated and not visited by anyone on account of the infection. DS not only visited the patient but also carried him on his shoulders to the nearest hospital some miles away. His closeness to these people must have grown during the numerous years he spent reaching the bowels of the earth in the plumbago mines of Botale or when planting up the vast acres of their land of which he is supposed to have planted some eighty acres of rubber and tapped it all himself!

At home he was a devoted father and a good husband. His wife Emily (Molly) Dunuwille was the sister of his oldest brother D.C. Senanayake's wife. While the marriage of D.C Senanayake was an arranged one, DS's was a love marriage, meeting his bride- to- be when accompanying his older brother to their home. He is supposed to have first set eyes on Miss Dunuwille, as she returned to the house after a well-bath, with her hair flowing to her waist and her ivory complexioned skin glistening, and not to mention the slightly plump figure clinging to the diya redda she was wearing. It was love at first sight!

During the younger years of his sons, DS took great interest in teaching them to ride, making them as good horsemen as he was. In the later years of his life, he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren when time permitted. His grandchildren had always been fascinated with his walrus-like moustache, and he once commented that it was his grandchildren's favourite plaything.

Like his son Dudley, who was notorious for his greater than average appetite, DS too was a 'big eater'. He was especially fond of manioc, jak and kurakkan, and of course his insatiable appetite for ripe mangoes. It is said that during the days he worked in the paddy fields, a diet of kiribath and treacle was what he appreciated most. If there was anything he could not do, it was to wind his watch, for if he ever attempted this feat, Mrs. Senanayake knew she would have to send it to the watch repairers.

Although he loved to read, and had a vast library in his home "Woodlands", he seldom found the time, and instead it was used regularly by his sons. On the rare occasion he actually did visit his library, more often than not he would search for Bernard Shaw.

Although not known for his eloquence in the legislature, he was always armed with all the facts and figures and had done copious research on the subject under discussion. He spoke plainly, and clearly as to what was on his mind.

He was so direct in his approach, that a spade was called a spade and nothing but a spade! He often disarmed opponents with a common sense answer or solution. Even on the sensitive issue of Tamil representation in the first Ceylonese Parliament, when Senanayake was asked how many Tamils he wanted in the House, he replied, "I don't care if they are all Tamils, provided they are elected as Ceylonese."

Even on instances he met the master oratory of Minister S.W.R.D Bandaranaike. Prior to his crossing the floor in 1951 on the question of succession after DS where Bandaranaike wanted his successor named, Senanayake's common sense seemed to prevail, for he replied, "When I became Prime Minister..... my good friend felt that I should nominate my successor. I told him that was not a thing I could do, for the simple reason that when I gave up the reins of government I became a nonentity as far as things go. I go back to my private life. It is the people that remain here afterwards, I told him, who should choose a successor to me." I said it would be my endeavour to do what I could to enable him to take my place".

Many who worked with him knew him to be precise, well-informed and punctual. He woke up everyday at 4 .00 a.m. and often rode for a while in the early hours. Immediately prior to setting off for official business, he made a visit to his orchid house situated at the front of his home in Woodlands. He had a large and rare collection of orchids which he treasured and tended himself. After a brief inspection he would choose the orchid that would honour his button hole that day.

On March 22, 1952, Mr. Senanayake died at the Central Hospital Colombo. His death resulted from a fall from the police horse Chithra, after suffering from a stroke brought on by vigorous riding. His riding companion Sir Richard Aluvihare noticed the Premier tilt in an uncharacteristic fashion as he rode behind him, and then the fall that ended his life. His last words spoken to Sir Richard Aluvihare had been, "Richard let's canter". And so in characteristic style we may assume that D.S. Senanayake cantered to the next world. It was appropriate perhaps that a man of such strength and vigour should exit the scene in such a dramatic fashion

During his lifetime, contemporaries amused at his love for the great outdoors nicknamed him Kelle John or Jungle John, the farmers who considered him their hero referred to him as maha goiya. For his wondrous works and irrigational schemes, many believed he was the reincarnation of the tank builder King Parakramabahu. For his commitment and struggle in winning sovereignty for Sri Lanka people called him Diyasena, but to all his countrymen alike, he alone will be remembered as the Father of our Nation.


Those fun-filled Pera days
Sir Ivor Jennings, first Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon wrote these words at the time the Peradeniya campus was taking shape. In The Kandy Road , Sir Ivor wrote: "The University will be entirely residential, each student being provided with a separate room in a Hall of Residence. Eight such Halls, six for men and two for women, are either erected or in the course of erection, and a ninth is planned. The Halls will be under University control but are being planned on collegiate lines, with common rooms and an attractive dining hall".

Eight years before the campus was opened, Sir Ivor had come "to survey the site calmly". "Sitting on a tree stump on the bank of the Mahaweli ganga, I spread Sir Patrick Abercrombie's site plan before me. I began at last to see the magnificence of the scheme."

He visualised the whole picture. "Over there on Convocation Hill will be the Library, with the Arts Building stretching behind it...To the right of the Library, would be the administration building, raised on granite pillars like the Brazen Palace at Anuradhapura (which he had not then seen). On the extreme right would be the Convocation Hall...To the left and right tea clad hills of old Peradeniya and above them the patana of the Hantana Ridge. No university in the world would have such a setting."

By the time we, the first batch of freshers at Peradeniya moved in, in early 1953, the picture was complete. The Arts Faculty had moved in from Colombo towards the latter part of 1952 and joined the Arts, Agriculture and Vet Science undergrads who were already there. The numbers were increasing and the Campus was beginning to show life. The seniors were there to greet us and warn us to get ready for the rag - the first of its kind at Peradeniya. Those of us who had got rooms in the Arunachalam and Jayatilaka Halls had cause to be happy - they were closest to the lecture halls. Professor J. L. C. Rodrigo was warden of Jayatilaka (where I had the good fortune to be along with 30 other freshers) and Professor D. E. Hettiarachchi was warden of Arunachalam. They were responsible for the maintenance of discipline in the Hall and to see that we were provided with nutritious meals. Caterer Suwaris' food was generally good and most of us became 'eggtarians' to have the best of both worlds - fish and egg. There were, of course, the occasional hiccups like the tasteless soup served with dinner which made us march to the warden's room in protest with the soup plates!) We patronised James' tuckshop (one of the garages in front of the hall turned into a little cafe with two long benches for us to sit) from the first day for 'plain tea and punts'.

We shared the spacious rooms - sixty in all - (most of the final- year students got single rooms) which were a luxury with even a wash basin inside and ample room for two beds. The dress code had to be strictly adhered to for dinner and those of us who preferred to come down in sarong in place of the trousers, soon acquired, Jatika banians to wear on top and get away with a national suit!

Traditions had to be built up. First was the rag.The Hall president happened to be another Anandian, the ever friendly G. T. Wickremasinghe (G. T., remembered for his classic performance in Veda Hatana, the highly entertaining campus drama directed by dramatist Jubal) who secretly told college mates not to worry too much but to pretend we were dead scared of the rag. In the first week we had to go in full suit for lectures, sometimes the coat worn the other way round. We could see girls in sarees,worn short - identifying the freshers and making acquaintance, leaving the seniors alone, was thus easier.

Clad in full kit, we assembled in the common room. We were given lit candles and asked to kneel in a line and take the J Hall oath. (Cannot really remember what it was!) Room rags followed - a few stern questions by some 'honourable seniors' who visited the rooms in batches, followed by a few 'orders' like diving from the bed to the floor and swimming! There was no need to resist - it was clean fun.

We soon settled down to Campus life. It was not confined to lectures, tutorials and library work. Most of us did the minimum of it but were more keen on sports or getting about to see the countryside. Climbing Hantane on a Saturday or Sunday, often in the pouring rain (the weather in Peradeniya was most unpredictable ) and with plenty of leeches, became a favourite pastime. Netball matches with Hilda Obeysekera or Sanghamitta - the only Halls of Residence for females - were very popular. Weekend trips were a regular feature - the Buddhist Brotherhood to the Travel Society organising them. A few busloads to Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Trincomalee and other well known places took off almost every week-end. Hikes to Pidurutalagala were quite popular. We were lucky we had an ace cameraman with us - 'Agricola' S. K. Charles, who later became Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in the Ruhuna University - who rarely missed a trip and made good use of his Zeiss Icon 120 camera. Thanks to him, we can go back 50 years and recollect the lovely time we had at Peradeniya.

Hall Society meetings became interesting gatherings with guest speakers making their presence at High Table dinners. The wardens and sub- wardens were friendly and approachable. When Professor Malalasekera took over from Professor Rodrigo as warden of Jayatilaka, we were very much at home. He would come on an evening and sit on the steps at the entrance and discuss how we were getting on.

Sir Ivor was the father figure at Peradeniya. We often saw him doing a brisk evening walk in his checked short- sleeved shirt and shorts. As a Peradeniya pioneer, K. Balachandran wrote in Memories of a University, "Sir Ivor Jennings was for many of us, the most admired man then in the campus. We looked forward to his inaugural address to the new students each year. Like all his lectures and talks this too was in simple, understandable language. To his audience, the language he used was a model of Queen's English. Every evening we could see him doing his routine stroll, walking-stick in hand. Though he appeared to be somewhat aloof, he was not so, certainly far less than the senior dons of the present day, most of whom would have been my contemporaries. This is the impression I get from the present day undergraduates."

Sir Ivor, who was serving his second term as Vice Chancellor having been elected uncontested in June 1952, was elected Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge in June 1954 but was given leave till April 1955. He resigned as Vice Chancellor on January 17, 1955 and left the next day with absolutely no fuss.

We took him to the Kandy Road in a procession led by a motor cycle escort (just four bikes, the precious possessions of the undergrads) . We walked alongside his little Ford Anglia which he drove down to Colombo. It was a touching moment.

The Jennings era was over. The Sir Nicholas Attygalle era was about to begin.
D. C. Ranatunga


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