Kandy Sports Club leads the way in rugby | Daily News

Kandy Sports Club leads the way in rugby

Sports in Kandy District has established a proud record of producing some of the top most sports people in Sri Lanka in a wide range of sports such as rugby, cricket, football, swimming, hockey, athletics, table tennis, boxing, swimming, basketball, cue sport, volleyball, badminton, elle, golf and even baseball, which was introduced recently. Sport in the Central Province is mainly dominated by Kandy who has produced national captains at cricket, rugby, athletes, iron sports, hockey, football etc.

Cricket has been played in the Kandy District since around 1863. It was mainly played in the Knuckles/Rangala areas and Kandy city had the Kandy Dancing, Boating, and Rowing Club. In 1896 this club became the Kandy Sports Club and promoted sports like cricket, hockey, rugby, and football. The country’s first unofficial test was played in Kandy at the Bogambara grounds in 1889.

Kandy Sports Club was an exclusive European club however from 1920 onwards locals were invited to play. During that time Bogambara grounds and Trinity College grounds at Asgiriya hosted overseas teams. In August 1946 saw the revival of the Kandy District Cricket Association. Shortly after the Central Province Cricket Association (CPCA) was formed with Dr. V.H.L. Anthonisz as president. That was the time Dr V.H.L. Anthonisz Shield was established for competition among clubs in the Kandy District. The teams that participated were Kandy SC, University Scheme SC and Kandy YMCA. The first tournament was won by Kandy SC led by Francis Amerasinghe.

In 1947 the Ceylon Cricket Association conducted a Zonal Tournament in which the CPCA participated and won. Later people like Mervyn Berenger , Bertie Gomes E.W. Balasuirya, Z. M. Jahuffer, Dr. C.D.L. Fernando. Dr. H.B. Uduwella, Harindra Dunuwille, Malcolm Perera, J.D.Shaw Wilson, and D.H. de Silva gave their best.

CPCA has hosted many international teams including the 1st Commonwealth team in 1950, the 2nd Commonwealth team in 1951, MCC in 1952, All India in 1956, Pakistan 1964, Hyderabad Blues 1966, and State Bank of India 1967, MCC 1969, Australia 1969, MCC 1973, and India 1974. Pakistan in 1976 played a three-day match against a Board President’s XI, while Joe Lister’s team played a two-day match against the Government Services CA at the Campus grounds Peradeniya.

Sri Lanka’s Test era in Kandy began with a Test match on 22 February 1983 against Australia at the Asgiriya Stadium making it Sri Lanka’s third Test venue and the 54th Test venue in the world. Since this game almost every team that visited has played on this ground, till the last Test held in 2007.

Cricket continues to take pride of place at school level, though the club standards have dropped somewhat. This is due to poor organizing by the local body. There are some clubs that exist only on paper contributing little or nothing for the betterment of Kandy cricket, becoming active only a during AGM time. Schools are doing well due to the keenness of the school and parents.

The first netball game was played in Kandy between Ceylon Girl Guide Company at Kandy High School in 1921. In Kandy today, rugby is the most popular sport and crowd pulling game. This is because of Kandy SC one and the only club out of Colombo playing the game at the highest level. They are the reigning club champions.

Football, though is the common man’s game, is continuing to be in the drain. Sad to say in the last ten years the game of football in Kandy at club level has taken a back seat and the AGM has not been held for years.

Hockey at school level is a happy story, with most of the schools, especially girls’ schools dominating the game. Kandy District Hockey Association has come back to the game and will be organizing the inter club men’s league tournament with ten clubs in October at the Peradeniya Campus grounds. Billiards and snooker however has taken a nosedive with hardly any activity only to rise from the dead during election time for the main body. Only Mahanuwara YMBA gives the cue to the players.

Basketball has come back to its former position. Table tennis and badminton too are in good shape with participation at every level being more than satisfactory. Volleyball too is at a low ebb. In recent times Kandy has produced some impressive athletes but the eye-opener has been swimming where Kandy has produced some top notch swimmers among both men and women, especially in schools.

Although Kandy has several sports bodies they need to get actively involved at the highest level. Kandy’s urgently in need of proper ground facilities for cricket, rugby football, hockey and athletics. The sporting fraternity of Kandy appeal to the Sports Minister for a cleanup.


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