Anthony Symons 50 not out in cycling and determined to carry on!

CYCLING: Fifty not out - it's not cricket, but that is the fine achievement of one of Sri Lanka's ace cyclists - Anthony Symons. He has been associated with cycling for 50 years and was felicitated yesterday at a cycling fiesta in Ratnapura for men, women in Sabaragamuwa Province.

The events were sponsored by Hutch and Yamaha and there was an invitation event for over 45-year-olds and Symons participated in it.

The events were organised and conducted by the District Cycling Association of Ratnapura under the supervision of the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka. Valuable cash prizes were awarded to the winners - from the first to the 10th places. The sponsors of this great happening are Neth FM and Hutch/Yamaha.

The name of Anthony Symons is known to all cycling fans in this country. He started his cycling career in 1958 as a schoolboy attending St. Aloysius College, Ratnapura. The same year he joined Paragon Peddlers Cycling Club, Nugegoda and was the champion.

In 1960 he was picked to represent Ceylon at the Olymppic Games in Rome, having qualified in three trials conducted by the Cycling Association of Ceylon (as we were then known). The unfortunate assassination of Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike took place around that time and the Ceylon team was kept on hold due to lack of funds and the team was reduced to just five members and Symons couldn't make the trip to Rome.

Many wins

From 1958 to 1960 Anthony Symons had won several cycling events and he was quite rightly picked as the Most Popular Cyclist of the Year 1960.

In 1960, in the Tour de Ceylon held in the stages saw Symons' friend Maurice Coomarawel winning in a tight finish from Hamilton VanTwest, Anthony Symons and Archie Kiel finishing second, third and fourth respectively in the racing class.

In the good old days most popular cycling events were the "Big Tours" organised by Lake House Group of Newspapers and sponsored by Ceylon Tobacco Company. Symons had to face many mishaps and finally won in 1964. He had the record of having participated in the 'Big Tours' 15 times.

In 1982 Symons represented the country in the "First International Bicycle Week in Holland, and made official visits to France and Belgium and visited the leading cycle factories in these countries. In 1985 while serving in the British Army in Oman and in his spare time, he participated in several cycling events and came on top. Having returned to Sri Lanka in 1986, he was attached to cycling still and continued to participate in major cycling events.

In 1996 he left on a tour of USA, thanks to one of the American cyclists Jeffrey Desderamius and had the great opportunity of witnessing the 1996 Atlanta Olympic cycling events. He also participated in the St. George Annual Cycling Classix in New York in the Masters Class 50 to 60 age group and was placed 12th in a field of 60 competitors.

He was appointed National Cycling Coach between 1997 and 2000 and in 1999 SAARC Games, the Lankans won many cycling events. He served in the national selection committee in 1995/1998, 1999/2000, 2003/2005.

Good riders

In cycling, there has been some very good riders. Maurice Coomarawel who died recently was known to all cycling fans. Then there was top amateur rider Chandra Perera of the Air Force was the 1960 National Champion and he beat Anthony Symons and Perera has won the Amateur Tour five times.

Cycling needs support to survive and there have been many people who have given "the push" to encourage the cyclists. Now that his "active" cycling days are over, Anthony Symons is trying to do the next best thing - writing a book titled "Cycling Sport" in Sri Lanka both in Sinhala and English.