Outstanding personalities honoured
A.C.M.Lafir will honour two outstanding personalities who contributed
to the success of cricket at St Anthony's, Katugastota. The Award
Ceremony will take place at 8.15 a.m. on March 08 at the College Hall
during the General Assembly and will be presided over by the Principal,
Rev. Fr. Titus Rodrigo, OSB.
Rev Fr. D.C.Macky OSB - Prefect of Games
He was the Prefect of Games during ACM Lafir's time of 1948 to '55
and did yeoman service which benefited all his students. He served his
Alma mater for 25 years.
It was in March, 1927 in the little Cahapel, now the Chapter House,
standing in the peaceful seclusion of the Monastery of Monte Fano that a
young novice made his simple profession to the saintly superior of the
community of the Sylvestro-Benedictines.
Rev. Brother Columban Macky fulfilled his tasks to perfection and
shepherded his folk in the pursuit of cricketing glory and the
achievements of his charges bear testimony to his zeal. John Halangoda
(senior)
He produced champions in his wake. At Trinity he produced Percy
Maralanda, V.C.Schokman, Philip Buultjens, H.M. Schokman, Harry Delwita,
Fred Murray, R.B.Ettipola, R.W.A.Gibson and F.A.Van Rooyen; His prize
products at St Thomas' were Bertie Wijesinha, Donald Fairweather, Norman
Siebel and M.O.Gooneratne; at Wesley he produced the incomparable
Mahadevan Sathasivam and Bertram Henderling; his array of scintillating
cricketers at St Anthony's have been A.C.M.Lafir, Ronnie Stephens, Tom
Deen, W. Premaratne, Cuthbert Pereira, Ranjith Samarasekera,
A.Sivanathan and the Dorenagama brothers, Saliya and Ranjith.
As in the case of Sir Christopher Wren who built over 55 churches,
the most wonderful and his favourite being St Paul's, the epitaph in the
crypt is 'If you seek his memorial - look around you', so be it with
John Halangoda, the doyen of cricket coaches.
These awards will be an annual event.
Best All-rounder in Memory of Rev Fr. D.C.Macky, OSB - Adil Reyal for
2009 will be presented by Rev Fr. Macky's niece Mrs Marian Halangoda
Best Technically correct Batsman in Memory of John Halangoda - Hiran
Wickramasekera for 2009, presented by Halangoda's grandson, Mahinda
Halangoda. These awards have been donated by A.Sivanathan and Spiro
Titus -two Old Antonians domiciled in England; Kirthi Maithripala in
Canada and A.C.M. Lafir. |
