Thursday 6th November 2008 15 of capability,don’t act like Khemadasas. he ended his tennis career. He Forget Obamas. Sri Lanka cricket lacks, was once arrested in 1985 for sadly,any role model. protesting outside the South Arjuna as a Role Model African Embassy in Arjuna Ranatunga is one rare excep- Washington, D.C., during an tion here. He didn’t leave any stone anti-apartheid rally. He once unturned during his illustrious 18-year said; “True heroism is remark- cricket career when he fought for a ably sober, very ‘undramatic’. hear your voices. I’ll be your cause for his motherland. It is not the urge to surpass all President. For those who tear Most importantly, he didn’t ever others at whatever cost, but the “Ithe world, we’ll oppose you.” - agree to give way to any of his strong urge to serve others at whatev- Barack Obama, the 44th President of opponents. The day he retired from er the cost.” USA, the first black to be so. international cricket in Aug., 2000, for- Ian Botham was a promi- Guruge Premasiri Khemadasa mer England captain Tony Greig called nent fundraiser for charity, Perera, who died last month at the age of him a player who “added steel to the undertaking a total of 11 long- 71, abandoned his school education to back of Sri Lankan cricket.” How true. distance charity walks in join Radio Ceylon as a youngster from At the SSC, Ranatunga was almost in England since 1985 and after Thalpitiya, Wadduwa, about 35kms tears when he listened to that comment. an inspirational visit to a south of Colombo, provides a case in Ranatunga’s uncanny nature of Taunton hospital for treatment point. At his funeral, which was held standing up for his cause at any cost was for a broken toe, following one under full state honours on Oct. 27, depicted in Shane Warne’s recent book of his walks, he stumbled into Khemadasa was hailed as a legendary ‘Shane Warne’s Century’. a children’s ward to learn that some of the children there had only weeks to live. Botham has since raised more than 10 mil- lion pounds, for the charity ‘Leukaemia Research’. Have our posh, rich crick- eters done anything of that sort? Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene or Kumar Sangakkara could have easily supported at least Sri Lankan cricket, not the whole of society, by establishing some institution for the under- privileged. Have they gone out of their way to raise a voice against any social injustice? Present Cricketer musician, who tried to bring in rich and “Through gritted teeth I have put At a meeting with local classy music to the masses. Arjuna Ranatunga in my 100...and the schoolboy cricketer Chamika A group of Khemadasa students fact is that Ranatunga helped to put Sri cannot really be stark enemies of the Arjuna Ranatunga is remembered for exchang- Fernando, who scored 316 were in tears, when they sang the lines Lanka on the cricket map...our games strong Aussies, or the Englishmen, if ing heated words with umpire Ross Emerson runs in an inter-school match during a triangular series ODI against England of the maestro’s year 2000 cantata against Sri Lanka were always more you fail in your mission to stand for recently, Ranatunga, as the in 1999. Sri Lanka cricket lacks good role mod- ‘Piriniwan Mangallaya’ (The Passing fractious than they needed to be with your countrymen by shedding your gen- els. The cricketers here are selfish. History will present head of Sri Lanka Away of the Buddha), as his pyre was Ranatunga in charge... tlemanly demeanor. In spite of a num- not look too kindly at them. (Files) Cricket, has said on Oct. 30: being lit at the Independence Squire. “We found that he loved to be in the ber of his shortcomings, the man who “Our country needs cricketers Khemadasa was honoured by a varied middle when we sledged him - so we “looked like he had swallowed a sheep” ary line until the Sri Lankan manage- with solid education.” He has apparent- cross section of our society, ranging tried to keep quiet - but he was so irri- (Warne), tried to give Sri Lanka cricket ment conferred with him, after which he ly hit the nail on its head as our crick- from the country’s President to ordinary tating, it was so hard to keep our mouths its due recognition. Hence is Warne’s resumed play. It was later revealed that eters lack basic education with regard folks. He didn’t appear in any ‘pap- shut. He had the ability to get under inexorable resentment. Emerson, who was sidelined as an inter- to their social responsibility. padam’ ads fortunately,nor did he crave everybody’s skin...he did his job. A Rebel national umpire since then, was on sick Khemadasa was not a big time schol- for any ‘TV rights’ or franchise deals, “He wasn’t out there to win a popu- On Jan. 20, 1996, he made his players leave from his job as an investigating ar in music, but still he knew what he had like our cricket heroes, during his much larity contest or give out prizes. He saw refuse to shake hands with the Aussies officer with the Western Australian to do to pass a strong message to the next hailed 50-year musical career. his role purely and simply as one to help at the SCG after a defeat in a World Dept. of Fair Trading! generation in his chosen field. The entire Instead, Khemadasa tried to share Sri Lanka win cricket matches and he Series Cricket final marred by partial By standing up against injustice nation honoured him, valued his work. what he discerned, as a master musi- wanted to make himself into the hardest umpiring by Steve Randell, who was with his head straight, when others Our National cricketers here, though, cian, with the younger generation. He opponent he possibly could. He was no later convicted of assault against nine gave up the fight quite naively, Arjuna think that playing for the country is a did so as if to epitomise the idea of that coward. He didn’t like to back down with schoolgirls in 1999 and the ever so con- came close to becoming a sporting role great fortune that came their way. They black ‘blues’ singer Louise Armstrong the bat any more than he did with his troversial Darrel Hair. model of his generation. want to have the cake and eat it. Such who sang, “I hear babies cry; I watch leadership.” Ranatunga is also remembered for Role of a Role Model people will not be remembered for their them grow. They’ll learn much more, Warne’s remarks here about exchanging heated words with umpire The late Arthur Ashe, the 1st service to their motherland or mankind. than I’ll ever know.” (from ‘What a Ranatunga clearly show that the former Ross Emerson during a triangular series African-American male to win a Grand We have cricketing ‘stars’ here, but no Wonderful World’). Lankan skipper has acted masterfully to ODI against England in 1999 and leading Slam tennis event who died of AIDS in great social beings, role models. History Our cricket heroes, having so much become the Aussies’ enemy No.1. One his team to a point just inside the bound- 1993, was a civil rights supporter after will not tolerate the selfish. Letter GD was a colossus! Mother blames medical authorities for Iresh The late Gamini Sri Lankan cricketers Pushpakumara’s untimely death Dissanayake, who to take part in the IPL. hailed from that pres- The Sports by Reemus Fernando tigious school in the Minister fell for it, August, was the third highest killers. He had vomitted at night. ted to the National Hospital. hills, Trinity, was a hook, line and sinker, Premier Under-23 cricketer wicket taker of the tournament. He told me that he begged for The funeral of beacon of light in Sri and gave him the nod. Iresh Pushpakumara who met He died a day after he was saline and medicine from the Pushpakumara will take place on Lanka cricket! Modi made a dramatic with an untimely death on admitted to the National nurses but they did not give him Saturday at the Pothupitiya His tragic death in move, when he swept Tuesday had wanted to join the Hospital. anything. cemetery. the prime of his life under the carpet his Electricity Board where his Hailing from an underprivi- “The next day,when I went to A leg-spinner, Pushpakumara was a rude shock to promised 40 million father worked, to prosper as a leged family, he had struggled to the hospital nurses showed me picked up nine wickets in an all lovers of the game. bailout and the Sports cricketer, his grief-stricken meet the huge financial the list of medicines the doctors innings against Lankan CC, his He strode the political Minister had to eat mother told ‘The Island’ yes- demands of cricket. And he had had recommended. But my son former club, in a Premier Under- arena like a colossus humble pie. The during his illustrious Lankan skipper, who terday. struggled more than that during said that nothing was given to 23 tournament in early August. career. It was the appears to be in the “He wanted to work where the last few days for his life as him except for painkillers.” He represented Panadura SC last same in the cricket- good books of some his father worked.