Theekshana lowers three swim records

Motivated by her appointment as Sri Lanka's girls' swimming team captain Theekshana Ratnasekera shattered three existing records in the 25th National Sports Festival swimming championships concluded at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium pool.

Theekshana broke the records in the women's 50 metres free style, 100 metres freestyle and the 200 metres free style.

Her record breaking timing in the 50 metres was 31.16 seconds, the 100 metres 1 minute 08.5 seconds and in the 200 metres 2 minutes 27.72 seconds. The former Thomian swimmer Gheffari Dulapandan proved that age was no barrier when in good form, shattering three records in the men's 100 and 200 metres butterfly and the 100 metres freestyle events.

Theekshana and Gheffari Dulapandan were picked as the best female and male swimmers by the organisers.

The other record breakers were Chandri Haputhantri in the women's 100 metres breast stroke 1 minute 29.23 seconds, Radeesha Daluwatta 100 metres back stroke 1 minute 18.85 seconds while Aseela Pradeep equalled the men's 100 metres back stroke record that stood at 1 minute 05.14 seconds.

Natasha Kodituwakku, the overall swimming captain for the Age Group Asia Pacific championships in New Delhi this month, was also among the record holders shattering two. Western Province with a rich array of swimmers in their midst walked away overall winners with the Central Province in second place and Southern Province in third place.

Sunil Peiris re-elected

By Bernie Wijesekera

Sunil Peiris, chairman of the Gymkhana Club was re-elected without a contest, at the annual general meeting held recently.

Peiris, an old Thomian - a qualified accountant - a man of few words has done a fine job with his dedicated committee. It was a vote of confidence by the membership to continue its good work without let or hindrance. All the key posts were uncontested.

Chula Samarasinghe will continue as vice-chairman. Ashok Senadeera will continue as secretary.

The club is fortunate to have a team of qualified officials to run its affairs. T.L. Raj, the treasurer has held this post for the last three years. Christopher Dias, a past president of the Squash Federation and a long standing member of the club, is the Bar Secretary which post, too was uncontested.

Peiris, thanked the membership for re-electing him with a vote of confidence. If the club achieved anything it was not due to his personal efforts, but due to a dedicated team effort where the rank and file rallied round to make it a reality. They put the club before self sans petty politics. Since the elections are over the past is forgotten and let us join hands together for a better future, he said.

Incidentally CCC were the front runners for the 'Sara' trophy this season and still have a match in hand according to Sunil Peiris.

We enter the British Domain

The first Ceylonese/Sri Lankan to be invited to the Executive Committee of the Royal Colombo Golf Club was Ruggerite, Golfer, Naval Officer and Lawyer E F N Gratiaen and that was in the year 1945.

He was closely followed by Leonard Peiris, Proprietary Planter, philanthropist and close friend and associate of millionaire C E A Dias, the grandfater of Michael and Christoper. Peiris and Dias were the pillars of St. Michael's and All Angels Church, Colpetty where they were Wardens in the very early thirties and I was then a leading chorister and soloist under the baton of W G Jackson of Forbes and Walkers. To follow through into this British domain were Hans Lourensz (1950), a well established tax consultant and Trevor De Saram, a lawyer of repute (1952), the father of Christopher and Joan De Saram. Many others followed but that was years later.

Very British

The story goes with all it's charity that these Ceylonese and a sprinkling of others were very British in all their lifestyles. Also very pleasing to the ear were their sharp accents comparable with those that originated and prevailed in that institution of international fame in Oxfordshire. It is also learnt that to acquire such an accent one had to practise talking incessantly with a small marble under one's tongue.

I have heard these gentlemen speak and cannot vouch that there was anything synthetic about their elocution. These gentlemen certainly did adorn the predominantly British Committees with their stature, academic excellence and poshness of lifestyle.

Pin's Domain

Pauline Vancuylanberg Koch was the first Ceylonese lady to join the Royal Colombo Golf Club and Pam Fernando followed a year later. Pam was the first Ceylonese to win the Club and National Golf title events. The first Ceylonese to win the Royal Colombo Golf Club Title was F C De Saram in the year 1937 and he won it again in 1939.

The war intervened and soon afterwards Conrad Ephraums, the son of the famous burgher millionaire Arthur Ephraums, the owner of the Mount Lavinia Hotel and the unmatchable race horse Orange William took the title in 1948.

IN 1950 Pin Fernando strolled in, stalked the courses of Nuwara Eliya and Colombo and took the title year after year in monotonous regularity until his inseparable friend Upali Senanayake stalled his further success with a splended win in 1962. Then came the Indian invaders followed by the Pakistanis.

Biloo Sethi took the title through 3 consecutive years with Prince Pittamber chipping into take it once. Cavalier Vikramjit Singh, the colourful turbaned Golfer cashed in with popularity and style to win the title twice.Taimur Hassan, the flamboyant Pakistani then made his appearance to win the title comfortably and capture a tremendous flock of fans. More came, more saw and more captured our title until this year when Anura Rohana stood up tall and showed the formidable invaders from India, Pakistan and Malaysia that our defence has been strengthened and stands fortified.

Caddies Brighten

Sad to say our young Golfers have fallen by the wayside and happily the young caddies have responded to the encouragement given to them showing up their exceptional skills. Anura Rohana, Tissa Chandradasa and Lalith Kumara make up our formidable trio who will defend our title in the future and also gear up to capture the titles in our neighbourhood and further. They are national assets and must be treated so. First they must be given status in the Club and freedom of the course.

Some effort must be made to improve their life styles with better food, clothing, shelter and most importantly every avenue must be searched to find a clinic where they can improve their skills. At the moment they have nowhere to go.

Finally a small commercial about myself. I was probably the first Ceylonese/Sri Lankan Hony. Secretary of the Royal Colombo Golf Club appointed in the year 1964 when George Gordon was President and Pin Fernando Captain. In the committee of 12 there were only 3 Sri Lankans - Chrisso Abeywardena, Dr. Lance Fernando and Jimmy Billimoria (Treasurer). I was re-elected in the next year and then moved into the Executive Committee where I served for 5 years.

I rejoined the committee several years later when Ajith Chitty was Captain and then President. I now carry happy memories of those pleasurable years in the company of fine gentlemen, excellent administrators and tremendous golfers.

Strict discipline says Shafi

By Marlon Fernandopulle

Sri Lanka's new Manager Chandra Schafter will use his wealth of experience as a Professional Administrator to instill discipline and lift the morale of the players.

Speaking to the Media at an informal Press conference, the 67 year old Managing Director of the Janashakthi Group said: "The role of the Manager has not been defined, however 1 believe my task will be directly related to all Managerial aspects of the game, as we have a head coach Dav Whatmore". He admitted that the morale of the players is presently at a very low ebb after the disastrous World Cup and his primary task would be to lift the players' morale and prepare them both physically and mentally for the forthcoming triangular and Test series.

Being Manager of the National team is nothing new to Schafter who has already been in a similar position on two previous occasions. Schafter was the Manager for Sri Lanka's first tour of India in 1982 and later for Sri Lanka's tour to England in 1991. It's nothing new to me. I enjoyed it on both occasions and it will be nothing different this time", said Schafter who is known to be a strict disciplinarian.

Already captain Sanath Jayasuriya has banned the use of cell phones at practices and the new Manager has insisted that no officials other than the Coach and Physio will be permitted into the players' dressign rooms. This means that Cricket Board Officials and family members of players will not be permitted into the dressing room. Players do not want anyone and therefore I will ensure that it stays that way", Schafter said.

The Sunday Times also learns that a strict time schedule will also be in force for players during a tournament.

In the past it was a known fact that senior players and the management were close to each other that instilling discipline was not an easy task.

This on many occasions has contributed to the breakdown of discipline.

Thus Schafter's move at this juncture could be viewed as a step in the right direction. However to what extent the Manager (and also the Captain) could implement these new rules and regulations is left to be seen.

Rover pinpoints......

At it again

So the bootlicker is at it again! Firstly, being a 'yes' man to his masters and secondly during a recent TV interview the licker of boots was literally licking the sponsor's representative to prove that he was not guilty of assaulting a former UK Board Official in England. "How come", he said, "the issue was blown out of proportion".

Another sham of a TV program by the bootlicker.

Heard this ?

The World Cup tickets after Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Super Sixes was sold at 200 pounds each, Rover learns. This had been disclosed at closed door meeting between four officials after a recent press briefing.

Money misused?

A leading schools sports body, Rover learns is making use of the sponsor's money to pay bar bills. Is this the way to utilise funds for promoting the sport?

Umpires ball talk

A leading cricketer from a leading bank participating in a Mercantile A division match was ruled 'not out' by an umpire aspiring to be a Test umpire, much to the dismay of the fielding side which comprised this cricketer's buddies and the spectators.

Begging bowl

A top swimmer from the outstations, presently studying in Colombo, is going around collecting money for his participation at a prestigious meet in India. Rover cannot understand the situation. Imagine the pain of mind and humiliation he must be going through in order to represent one's country. What has the controlling body got to say about this?

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