Nimal Lewke has many attributes as a outstanding sportsman and a coach but what sets him apart as a Legend is what he did in outwitting dreaded terrorists with his dare devilry, risking his own life as Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police and Commandant Special Task Force.The details to pen are mind boggling.
LEWKE was assigned the task of protecting President J.R. Jayewardene at a time when the LTTE and JVP were targeting him. He also provided protection for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe. The LTTE were a much feared outfit and for his bravery and gallantry in helping to end terrorism he should have been named a national hero.
From boxer to ruggerite
From boxer to ruggerite, to referee to President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Federation, to coach, to referee to President of the Asian rugby football Union to cricketer. LEWKE had it all. And to cap it all he excelled in all these aspects which no other in the sports field here had attained.
But reminiscing, LEWKE was in the maul during the thick of the terrorist war that plagued the country for a near three decades as Senior Superintendent of Police finishing as Commandant of the Special Task Force. When the war ended while lesser mortals rejoiced and were rewarded, men who were in the thick of the war, putting their lives on the line like LEWKE were not rewarded or given due recognition.
It is said that the game’s the thing and to LEWKE a flanker of great talent in rugby, the greatest moment and achievement was the ending of the wretched war with him playing his part to perfection and letting his countrymen free to indulge in their daily life and also resume all sports activities that was at a standstill. But LEWKE is not one to blow his own trumpet.
Boxer of promise
As a sportsman initially he started his career at St Sylvester’s College, Kandy as a boxer of promise and repute with great skill. The coach who taught him the tricks in the roped square, the hooks, the upper cuts the one-two, the knockout punches.
All that was taught and shown how by that incomparable boxing coach the great Derek Raymond who took boxing at the school to heights never attained before. The Stubbs Shield was the in thing in schools boxing and St. Sylvester’s regularly carried away this trophy to Kandy.
LEWKE was a national boxing champion and boxed for the country in the King’s Cup Boxing championship, in Bangkok and TATA sports festival in India in 1972. As a schoolboy he won the Best Boxer trophy at the Intermediate Championships in 1970 at St. Sylvester’s. Those were the days when the school won the Stubbs Shield about eight times in 1960s and ‘70s.
Golden era of schools boxing
Recalling that golden era of schools boxing he mentioned the classy boxers he trained and fought with. LEWKE traded punches with the famous Bulner brothers from St. Sylvester’s – Malcolm, Michael, Christopher and Noel, A.C.R Herathge, D.C.Weerasinghe, brothers G.A.S. and Derrick Gunasinghe, Jansz brothers, T.S. Hassen, M.Riyal, S. Aswer, D. John and others.
This glittering array of boxers, some of whom later went on to punch their way to winning at the nationals and representing the country at various International meets. Where are the likes of them now? : this writer who covered some of the boxing meets where these boxers participated as a junior reporter at the ‘Times of Ceylon’ asks. Those were the halcyon days of schools boxing that will never come again.
Concentrating on boxing
In school LEWKE did not play rugby, concentrating more on boxing. On closing school books he started his rugby that was to blossom and see a champion was at Kandy Sports Club. His first captain was that great prop forward Y.C. Chang and which club had players of the calibre of Gavin Stevens, Sunil Munasinghe, Kuthoos, Dr. Makuloluwa, Jeremy Perera, Deepal de Zoysa, Ranjan Rajendra, John Henry, George Jayasena, Samarajeewa, Gamini Udugama, Rohan Abeysundera, Chang Fa and others.
LEWKE was keen to join the Police and did so and rose in the ranks and nobody would have grumbled had he been made Inspector General of Police.
He later rose to be Commandant of the Special Task Force. He has the rare distinction of playing for the country and captaining the Police team that won the Clifford Cup in 1980.
Great players
That police team had great players such as E.K.R. Wijewardene, M. Moseth, Ibrahim Hamid, Rock Banda, Kularatne, R.P. Linton, Anton Benedict, Daya Jayasundera, Sunil Perera, Nimal Abeysinghe, Seevali Samarasekera, Somachandra, Samaraweera, Bandula Wijesinghe, Charles Wijewardene, T.P Hajireen, Nizam Hajireen, Dassanayake, Herath Banda and Chandrapala.
He played in four police teams that won the Clifford Cup in 1972 under Anton Benedict,’73 under Nizam Hajireen.
I recall the 'Sunday Times' when M.V. Muhsin covered the cup final and we featured a colorful copy titled "Agony & Ecstasy of the Cup Final'. Then LEWKE played again under Charles Wijewardene in 1979 which won the Clifford Cup and in 1980 he led the team to honours. Muhsin later on went on to become Financial Adviser to the Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda and ended up being Chief Information Officer and Vice President of the World Bank.
LEWKE wielded the willow for the Police and played ‘Sara’ Trophy cricket. Some of his team mates were T.B.Kehelgamuwa, G.S.Ratnayake, Franklyn Burke, Lal Wickrematunge and Anil Ratwatte. In addition to his prowess in boxing, rugby and cricket he was also a member of the champion Pistol Shooting Police team.
Glorious moments
But LEWKE’S most glorious moments was on the rugby scene. After he closed his chapter as active player in 1983, he turned to coaching and was national coach. He met with success as a coach at school level in 1994, ’95 when St. Peter’s under his guidance entered the President’s Trophy finals for the first time and later won the championship in 2001.
As head coach of St. Thomas’ College he guided them to be unbeaten schools league champions which stands as a record up to date. At top level coaching he has the unenviable record and in 1995 showed the way for Kandy Sports Club to pocket the triple crown for the first time – Clifford Cup, John Player League Trophy and President’s Trophy. In 1996 and ’97 KSC won the triple crown again and it is a record and unique for a coach to achieve success for three consecutive years.
Man of many parts
LEWKE is a man of many parts. He is a level 11 qualified coach from New South Wales, Australian Rugby Academy. He held the prestigious post of President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union in 2007/’08 and during his reign he held the Rugby Asiad in Sri Lanka in 2007 where Sri Lanka emerged runners-up for the second time.
Those were the days when terrorism was at its zenith with foreign teams showing reluctance to come here.
As Commandant of the Special Task Force he convinced all teams that tight security will be provided at the Asian Rugby Football AGM in Hong Kong in 2006.
Due to his assurance the teams played here. The then President who was a keen rugby fan thanked him profusely for staging the Asiad here. Wasn’t LEWKE elated. He has the proud record of being the second Sri Lankan to be appointed President of the Asian Rugby Football Union.
Leading rugby referee
LEWKE was a leading rugby referee for many years and blew with great aplomb and no questions were asked when he whistled the Bradby Shield, the Clifford Cup finals and the President’s Trophy finals.
He was also President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Referees Society in 2003/’04. He was Police Sportsman of the year in 1980. President Western Province/Rugby Football Union and in 2003 was President Junior Rugby Asiad Referees Society. During his tenure in every aspect of rugby not once did he accept any remuneration. He did it all for the love of the game.
His one disappointment was when he was removed as Chairman of the Sports Council which position was given to him by then Minister of Sport for a short while Navin Dissanayake. But for no reason was subsequently replaced by Dayasiri Jayasekera who took over as Sports Minister after Dissanayake left the Ministry.
LEWKE is now Chief Security Officer at Aitken Spence and President Maithripala Sirisena learning of his unlimited talent in security matters invited him to join his Security Division as an Adviser on Defence Affairs.
LEWKE based his success in all aspects on the adage that – if you have the will, there is a way. The likes of the unassuming LEWKE with his proud credentials will not surface that easy.
Add new comment