Maheswaran presents Videos and VCDs to SLAF

by Lal Gunesekera

RUGBY: Former Air Force and Defence Services ruggerite-Murray Maheswaran (68), who was in Dubai for 16 years, presented 25 video Cassettes and a few VCDs on rugby to the Air Force Sports Board headed by Group Captain Harsha Fernando, himself a fine third-row forward and basketball player produced by the Air Force.

Maheswaran is a rugby fanatic who said that he wanted to "give back to the Air Force, something what I received from them. "He says that it was Air Marshall Harry Gunatilleke (rtd), who moulded him to what he is today and was always grateful to the former Commander who helped the Air Force to gain promotion to play in the 'A' Division tournaments, in 1966.

"We were the 'B' Division champions in 1965 and even had the distinction of beating Army who were an 'A' Division side in the semi-finals. The Army side included the late General Denzil Kobbekaduwa. However, we lost to CR & FC (3-11) in the final.

CR's side included Hiranjan Perera, Eric Roles, Rohan Abeysundera, Hadji Omar, Mohamed Azain, Bunny Van Twest, Mohan Sahayam, the late Tony Sirimanne, Sari de Sylva etc" said Maheswaran, who is now recuperating from an illness at his home in Homagama.

He represented the Air Force from 1962 to 1966. The Air Force had players in the calibre of Jeff Ratnam, Hillary Sela, the Khalid brothers and Eddie Buell to name a few. He was also a member of the Defence Services side of 1962 which played against Up-Country.

The Services outfit included Jeff Ratnam, Raj Rodrigues, Sena de Sylva, Z. Khalid, Sam Abraham, Wanasinghe, Ranjith Abeydeera, Bunny Van Twest, Dissanayake of Navy, Jayaratne and Gunawardene, while the Up-Country side led by chris Bean included Mike Parry, Brian Faithfull, Tyrell Muttiah, Ralph Gauder, Lionel Almeida, Mike Waring, Stanley Unamboowe, John Boyd-Moss, D. Madugalle and Mike de Alwis to name a few. Maheswaran left the Air Force in 1977 and went to Dubai and was the manager of the Dubai Exiles RFC and was also involved with the Arabian Gulf RFU. He introduced Mini Rugby at Dubai Exiles (first club in the Arabian Gulf to start Mini Rugby).

Some of the top players who has benefited from this programme and learned the basics from Maheswaran were Marcus Smith who led Arabian Gulf, Alastair Burgress. It was Smith who scored the first try for Arabian Gulf against Sri Lanka at the Singer-SriLankan Airlines International 7s.

Maheswaran is also a founder member of Barrelhouse and the Dubai 7s has many memories for the Sri Lankan. He was also a senior referee and officiated at all levels of the game, including the Dubai 7s.

A former Dubai Exiles Chairman, Robert Hughes, said that "if it was not for the work of Mahes, there would be no Dubai Exiles. The man litterally breathes rugby".