Kandy needs to uplift football at club level. Football lovers of Kandy are hoping that the controlling body will give their best support for Kandy football and bring the game back to its former position.
The Kandy Association Football League (KAFL) was formed in1925 and is one of the founder members of the football governing body in Sri Lanka. A few years back the controlling body made a big show by claiming Kandy will have a modern football stadium at Dangolla.
The world body FIFA were to give the backing and laid the foundation stone and also funded it. Many years have lapsed but nothing has happened and only the foundation stone still stands.
Early clubs- Several top British footballers displayed their versatility, representing the Kingstown and Queenstown regiments, the Royal artillery, and also the West African Rifles, which also had quite a few Negro stars in their ranks. Football was the main sport at that time in the hills. So, the game increased in popularity day by day, because it was played with great interest.
Some of the clubs which took to the sport in the 1930s were Old Antonians SC, Old Kingswoodians SC, Police SC, Kandy YMCA, Greenfield SC, Kandy Sports Club, Phoenix SC, St. Michael’s SC, Gampola Chums, Rovers SC, Kandy YMMA and Red Stars SC.
The man behind the Kandy football scene, Jainudeen formed the Kandy Amateur Football League (KAFL). The KAFL subsequently changed its name to Kandy District Football League (KDFL) and also served football in Matale, Nawalapitiya, Gampola, Kurunegala, and Kegalle. As the years rolled by, these towns formed their own leagues.
Then came the Kandy Football Referees’ Association (KFRA), in the late 1940s, with pioneers like Philip Buultjens, Kingsley Abeyasinghe, R. Jaymon, S.A.C. ‘Gunner’ Mohideen as active referees. Later A.J.M. Yusuf, M.E. Marikar, Tom Ossen, T. Kumala Mohamed to name a few handled the whistle. During that time, Col. V.H.L. Anthonis, A.C.L. Ratwatte, and E.L. Senanayake, former Mayor and minister, gave Kandy football a big hand with M.S. Jainudeen as the KFRA Secretary. In mid 1970s Dr. C.D.L. Fernando took over the Presidency and held the position till his death, in the mid eighties.
In the good old days, most of the football clubs in Kandy were run by businessmen. From the early years of barefooted competitions to the present age of sophisticated football, Kandy has played a vital role in Sri Lanka’s football development.
Talking about some of the top players Kandy had produced, the first coming to mind is none other than Sylvestrian Mahinda Aluwihare, who was rated as the best mid-field player in Asia. Mahinda Aluwihare led the country on several occasions.
The first product from Kandy to lead the country was Tom Ossen when he was in the Kandy Municipal Council. While Tom Ossen had the longest and most colourful international career (1947-1965), Mahinda Aluwihare was a picture of sheer brilliance in the pivotal position, which helped Sri Lanka to many an international victory.
Kandy won the All Island senior and junior league championship for the first time under the presidency of B.M. Liyanage and H. Marikar. With this win Kandy toured Nepal, the first time a team went overseas. What the controlling body should do is to appoint an interim committee and run football in Kandy until it is properly organized.
They should obtain the support of those who have done great service to this game in the past. In the good old days, the winners of the league and the knockouts were presented with Rs. 150,000 cash award. If football in Kandy is to improve the controlling body must put the leagues on the correct path.
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