Centenary 'Battle of the Maroons' in Kandy
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Wednesday 15th March, 2006 11 LETTER Chapa, U-12 champ at Youth Centenary ‘Battle Sports Festival Badminton of the Maroons’ in Kandy The oldest big match between two schools in Kandy is the encounter between Kingswood College and in turmoil! Dharmarajah College. This big match is known as the adminton seems to be Guruge acted as the de-facto whose Annual General ‘Battle of the Maroons’ as both colleges have maroon on in a state of turmoil president and was responsi- Meeting was held minus the their college flags. This year, these two colleges will be Bwith three candidates, ble for alienating many coun- required quorum for the playing the 100th encounter as they battle it out for the T. namely, incumbent President cil members and affiliates. meeting. B. Tennakoon Trophy at the Asgiriya Stadium on March 24 Sumith Guruge, Vice Under these circum- (b) The initial decision President Louie Karunaratne stances, the standard of bad- not to award any votes to the and 25. and immediate Past minton continues to deterio- government services on the The first match in the series was played in 1806. But President Riza Jumar unoffi- rate and some salient issues basis that their Annual there was a lapse in the series during the time of the cially having declared their are as follows: General Meeting did not com- Second World War when the precincts of Kingswood candidature for the post of ply with that of the Sri Lanka College was shared by Kingswood and S. Thomas’, as S. president for the forthcoming (1) Sumith Guruge com- Badminton Association Thomas’ Mt. Lavinia was used as the South East Asian Sri Lanka Badminton menced his tenure two years requirements while the Headquarters of the Allied Forces. Association elections. back, with a sponsorship established norm and prece- Traditionally, this big match was played alternatively at This has resulted in the package of Rs. 5 million. dence has been to accept Randles Hill, the Kingswood grounds and Lake View, the countrywide badminton Todate, after two years, he sports associations within Dharmarajah grounds. Both these grounds were very Chapa Mevandi de Vaas Gunasekara of Kalutara North emerged overall champi- administration being divided has been unable to sustain their own constitution and small in extent, with some boundary lines being so close on in the Under-12 category at the inaugural ‘Youth Sports Festival – 2005’ into various groups, which the sponsorship package or finally, three votes were only that a mere flick would sail over for six or rush to the has and will seriously affect negotiate for a new sponsor- granted owing to pressure which was held at the Race Course Grounds in Colombo, recently. The festival boundary line for four before the fielders could turn the game of badminton. ships and as a result of this, from the house and that too around! At Randles Hill a powerful hit would take the ball was organised by the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society. This unfavourable situa- the Sri Lanka Badminton linking it to granting the Chapa, who is a student of Panadura Balika MV, came first in the following tion was set up by the incum- Association will enter the Mercantile Badminton over the fence onto the paddy fields or canal on one side, while at Lake View it would sail over and go down the three events at the above Sports Festival: 100m (15.70 secs), 75m (11.71 secs) bent president, who got his administrative year Association three votes and long jump (4.08m). Chapa’s coaches are M. Nihal and Domica of Panadura name proposed by two mem- 2006/2007 without an official which had an illegally consti- precipice onto the school buildings. But now the play- Balika MV. bers of affiliates without the sponsor, which will certainly tuted meeting. ground at Randles Hill has been developed to meet the consent of their relevant affect the game and its medi- (8) This all points to requirements for cricket, at senior level. Chapa is seen receiving her trophy for emerging Under-12 champion, from the associations for a further um to long-term develop- manipulation of procedure Later, in the 1950s the ‘Battle of the Maroons’ was Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Jeevan Kumaratunga, after the conclusion extension of his tenure as ment. to protect the president’s vote shifted to the Police grounds, which was a neutral ground of the Youth Sports Festival – 2005. (RSS) president, despite having (2) Sponsorships resources base. and a larger one. And from recent times the match has completed the legally permis- available have not been uni- (9) Ministry approval has been played at the Asgiriya Stadium, which meant that the sible two years. formly distributed to the var- been obtained for the presi- cricketers of both schools have to play on a turf wicket, The reward that these two ious affiliates, but have been dent to contest a further term quite different from the matting wickets at their home personalities have received doled out to affiliates whose and the minister himself grounds. for proposing his name is to may not be aware of the cur- It is noteworthy that Dharmarajah College has pro- be continuously appointed as rent predicament when per- duced outstanding cricketers who have donned national manager and coach for prac- mission was granted. tically most of the Sri Lanka (10) The association has caps. T. B. Kehelgamuwa was the most famous of them, Badminton Association over- also shown scant respect to being a regular in the Sri Lanka cricket team as an open- seas team visits. The presi- the Ministry of Sports and ing fast bowler. He had the ability to bowl so well that dent has not come down hard one event worth mentioning when the MCC team played in Colombo, he clean bowled on them for non-submission was that in relation to the Geoffrey Boycott. The other fast bowler produced by of tour reports, within the last Junior Nationals, where- Dharmarajah was Sonny Yatawara (though Yatawara was expected time frame as has in the ministry had given a produced and nurtured by Dharmarajah, he later shifted to been stipulated by the directive to the association Ananda College, Colombo and from there to club cricket Ministry of Sports. and this directive had not at and the national side. At present too, a product of More surprising is why all been adhered to, upon Dharmarajah is in the national side (in the ODI side). This the current president is so which a complaint was is the young Chamara Kapugedera, the 19-year-old who keen to extend his term as at representatives have sup- lodged with the Ministry of impressed everybody with his fearless strokeplay in the present he holds three top ported the president in his Sports arising from which first match he played against Australia, which had the positions, namely; Vice system or administration. the ministry had called for an Atamie International School, Wattala held their 2nd Annual Sports Meet at world’s best and fearsome opening bowlers in Brett Lee President of the Mercantile (3) Coaching fees have not explanation from the Sri Welisara Nawaloka grounds, recently. the chief guest was First Lady Shiranthi Badminton Association, yet been paid to a number of Lanka Badminton and Glen McGrath. Rajapakse. Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapakse is seen with the winning house captain President, Sri Lanka districts and provincial Association. Three names that come to one’s mind of cricketers Dinesh Attanayake. Founder and Managing Director, Azard Uduman is among Badminton Association and coaches which certainly will from Kingswood who did their alma mater proud are Bin those in the picture. (Pix by Harold Vithanage, Wattala) Vice President, Asian affect the development of the However, the Sri Lanka Ismail, Maurice Fernando and Owen Mottau. All three Badminton Confederation. game. Badminton Association, were club cricketers who played in the P. Sara Trophy matches. Of these three, Maurice Fernando, the captain of It is unthinkable as to how (4) Rs. 2 million Tsunami todate, has chosen to ignore a human could justify giving funds received from the the 1958 Kingswood team was adjudged the Schoolboy Hatton Siri Pada College President's this letter. out his best to such a wide Asian Badminton Cricketer of that year, which title was won in 1957, the array portfolios and the only Confederation, over a year The overall position since year it was initiated by W. Preamaratne, the captain of St. in round two Trophy reason seems to be to project back have not yet been com- the current president took Anthony’s College, Katugastota. A cheque was presented one’s self-esteem, while pletely disbursed for the pur- office has been a consider- by our Badulla Sports Correspondent to Fernando by the Kingswood Union, Colombo Branch at Hatton Siri Pada Central College qual- soccer in depriving opportunities for pose they were sent and over able deterioration of the the luncheon organized to celebrate the anniversary of the ified to play in the second round of the All other competent persons to Rs. 1 million is still with the administration, finances, founding of Kingswood College. serve in office. association. Island Under-17 Inter-Schools Football Hatton development programmes Kingswood College cannot boast of any cricketers who It may also be interesting (5) Conducting of council Championships when they beat the more by our Badulla Sports and goodwill, while on the to evaluate justification for meetings have been vary have represented the country at cricket at national level, fancied St. John Bosco College by 3 goals Correspondent his request and if one has to autocratic and the position of positive side it has only pro- unlike in hockey and rugby football where Kingswood has to 1, at the Hatton District finals played at The Hatton look back on his performance affiliates have been under- vided personal gain to the had a number of outstanding players who have shone in the Dunbar grounds recently.