Nandasena Perera - rose from ball-picker right to the top

Leslie Fernando

GOLF: Time was when the name Nandasena Perera was synonymous with Sri Lanka Golf.

A skilful player whose accomplishment both on the domestic as well as on the international scene stood like a beacon light. The 54-year-old Nandasena Perera the colourful personality who thought golf as a way of life had to give up the game due to Arthritis and Diabetes in 1992.

Nandasena Perera - climbed the ladder of success soon.

Kalutantirige Nandasena Perera, a fine golfer who started life as a kid picking balls, graduated to be a ball boy and then a caddie, following in the footsteps of his father Michael Perera who was quite an accomplished player and caddies champion.

Nandasena's achievements at home and abroad as an Amateur and Professional reflects an amazing crop of titles: Amateur honours - 1988 - Sri Lanka Amateur Champion. 1988-Malaysian Amateur Champion, 1988-Singapore Amateur Champion, 1989-Sri Lanka Amateur Champion, 1989-Pakistan Amateur Champion, 1990-Sri Lanka Amateur Champion, 1990-Malaysian Amateur Champion, 1990-Asian Games runner-up.

Professional honours: 1991-Sabah Masters Malaysia Champion, 1991-Singapore PGA runner-up, 1991-New Zealand PGA runner-up, 1992-Malaysian Open runner-up.

It was as a `Ball Boy' that Nandasena started his career at the Royal Colombo Golf Club. As a young boy he was paid 50 cts and another 25 if he pick up a ball from water-logged area. He watched carefully the stars play and picked up the game quickly. Born on 29th July 1955, Nandasena represented RCGC and Nuwara Eliya Golf Club.

His first major title was winning the Sri Lanka Open in 1981. He had to overcome great challenges from those reputed golfers like Pin Fernando, H.C. Premadasa, J.J. Perera, to name just a few. The experience and the exposure he got playing against them was certainly enormous. They were guiding lights in his career.

From 1981 to 1985 he was the undisputed champion of the local golf scene. As an amateur, in 1988 he won the Malaysian Open Amateur at Royal Selangor, Singapore Amateur, Sri Lankan Open Amateur at Nuwara Eliya, Pakistan Open Amateur at Islamabad in 1989. At the XIth Asian Games in Beijing in 1990, he won a silver.

The two wins Nandasena scored against Timur Hassen in Pakistan and Lakshman Sing Gold Medalist in India in 1989 is considered as very memorable.

As a professional some of his fine achievements were, 3rd in Malaysian Open, 2nd in Rothmans Masters and Singapore PGA and the winner of Sabah Masters.

Nandasena showed his capabilities as a Professional Golfer in Japan in 1993. He played so well that the Japanese donated a Musuno Golf set to him. Unfortunately his golfing stint in japan was short lived as arthritis struck his knees and he was hospitalised. He never recovered adequately. Due to this ailment, he missed the European Tour which was a very big disappointment for him.

The greatest asset that Nandasena gained as a golfer is the house and property that he received. The late President Ranasinghe Premadasa donated a ten-perch block of land and with the financial assistance and help rendered by the members of the Royal Colombo Golf Club, he was able to own his own house at the Lake Drive close proximity to the club.

He was ever grateful to President Premadasa and the club members and well wishers. In 1994 the then President honoured him with the Deshabandu title.

Nandasena Perera was employed at the RCGC as its head coach for a couple of years.