Kandy's oldest hockey tourney:

P.T. Rajan Cup to be revived

By Hafiz Marikar

HOCKEY: When Kandy District Hockey is spoken about of its fine image for several decades, history speaks of another milestone in the country’s sporting arena. Although one is probably aware Sri Lanka, in spite of being a little island of lesser significance on the global map, has had excellent relations with the rest of the world throughout history. Records show that there was an ambassador of the calibre of the late P.T.Rajan ambitious to produce big time hockey in the district of Kandy.

Late P.T. Rajan, a well-known educationist, versatile sportsman, sports benefactor, philanthropist and above all a gentleman, of the highest calibre was in the district. Several instances in his illustrious career and public life displayed strong character, integrity and honesty as a true sportsman and gentleman sports administrator. He was a great promoter of sports, an example par excellence of a clean life spent in the service of his fellow brethren.

It is no secret the exemplary role played by the late P.T. Rajan to promote hockey has been taken over by his son B.D.R. Suri Rajan, who has been the true godfather of Kandy hockey, finding a safe haven for the game in Kandy district to promote at the highest level. With the demand to promote the game, Kandy’s oldest hockey tournament, which is known as “P.T. Rajan Cup” will be revived by his son B.D.R. Suri Rajan an immediate past District Governor of the Rotary Club of Sri Lanka. He has vowed to bounce back and be fully instrumental in promoting the game to better heights in the years to come.

The P.T. Rajan Cup was awarded by him in 1950 to keep the game of hockey alive. Despite being a businessman with several enterprises under his control, Suri Rajan has been a caring father to the Association, especially those involved in carrying out their duties to increase the interest after the post-war economic growth. Earlier before Suri, his brother the late T.R.R. Rajan made a breeding ground for hockey in Kandy after his father introduced the game to schools and clubs in the district. This Cup Tournament was played up to late 1960s.

Kandy hockey revived 1920

Going back to its history, it was P.T. Rajan who revived hockey in Kandy in the late 1920s and introduced it to the schools and clubs. After the revival and formation of the Kandy District Hockey Association initiated by P.T. Rajan, he had the invaluable support and encouragement by the late M.S. Jainudeen, V.D. Paul and J.O. Mendis to promote the game with only a handfull of clubs taking interest.

The teams during that period were Indian Students Hostel, St. Anthony’s College under the name of “Hotspurs”, Trinity College under the name of “Rabits”, Kingswood College, Kandy Rovers SC and Imperial Motor Garage Hockey Club. As years went by hockey flourished in Kandy with several schools in and around Kandy taking to hockey. During the World War large number of clubs and schools including foreign teams played in Kandy.

Hockey in Kandy dates far back as 1907, when the Indian Rajput Regiments occupied the Kandy Military Barracks, currently known as Police Barracks. During that time St. Anthony’s College was housed at the present St. Sylvester’s College premises and they used the barracks square for all their sports. The boys of that era felt drawn to the game themselves and tried their hand at knocking the ball about with a borrowed stick or two. The fearless youngsters found some places vacant whenever the military men did not turn up for their games.

Gradually, more boys found the glamour of the game irresistible and in a matter of few months threw down the gauntlet themselves and were soon at grips with the Indian Military men.

Glancing through some old records, I found that the first “Bully Off” in Kandy was in the year 1907 at the Bogambara grounds, when the two clubs Kandy Sports Club and Industrial School Team met. The leaders of these two pioneer clubs were Europeans S.R. Hamer and R. Sparks. These two clubs played regularly and had opposition from the Regiments that were stationed in Kandy. The Kandy Sports Club packed with European planters also met Dimbulla ACC and Dickoya MCC. Somewhere in the year 1910, a new club was formed, Kandy Rovers. They had the Vanlangenberg brothers Hugh and Lloyd, Wicky and Percy all first class hockey players. In addition, they had Edwin Boulton, a master at Kingswood College and H John Gaye who was a master at St. Anthony’s College.

So, the Antonians were keen on hockey and became more serious in 1909. They had in their midst Rev. Fr. Andrew Vanlenberg an old Royalist. He led his school at cricket, Daddy Joseph, Rev. Fr. Robert M. Perera the Prefect of Games of St. Anthony’s College and founder of St. Sylvester’s College and Rev. Fr. Philip Caspersz and they were ably assisted by the famous groundboy of Bogambara grounds, G. Perera.

Charlie’s death - hockey ‘died’

In 1909, one of the Antonian students, by the name of Charlie Hamilton, who was a little ten-year-old prodigy, played as centre half. This lion-hearted midget, was one of those who had learnt the game the hard way when in the company of the Indian stalwarts. That year a team picked from Kandy travelled down to Colombo to play against Municipal Council of Colombo and Bloomfield ACC. The first match was drawn, each side scoring a goal, and the hero of these two games had been Charlie Hamilton, whose play had evoked repeated rounds of applause. The anti-climax of this, was that after the teams returned from Colombo, Charlie took ill suddenly and died on the 5th of November 1909. Then the game had a natural death.

Once again in 1926, Kandy Sports Club with Europeans, started a tournament, special mention must be made of the Secretary of Kandy Sports Club John Jackson Smale, some of the Kandy Sports Club stalwarts, then were Harmer, Trailm Mclaughlanm, the Bengan brothers B and R, the Trinity master K.R. Pilcher (Oxford Blue), and Strefield (English County player). Then there was that game in the August, the Big Match between Up-Country and Low Country, the teams were composed of all Europeans. Then again the game went ‘dead’.

Hockey revived

Then in the 1930s the game came to the right place, when P.T. Rajan stepped in to introduce the game to the schools and clubs. The league and the knockout tourneys were introduced. P.T. Rajan gave a push to the game, along with M.S. Jainudeen. By 1940 hockey in Kandy was well organised with local tournaments in full swing.

In 1944, the Kandy District Hockey Association conducted one of its finest tournaments where fourteen teams participated in the league. They were St. Anthony’s “Hotspurs”, Trinity “Rabits”, Kingswood, Police, CLI (Army), Kandy Rovers, Sampans (Army), Blue Jays (Army), All Anglo Indians, Parklands (Army), Indians Legionaries (Army), South East Command Team of Lord Mountbatten’s staff).

At this tournament Kandy Rovers having a better side in their ranks, including Philip Buultjens the greatest Sri Lankan sportsman of all time. He excelled in all games he represented. Douglas Bartholomeusz, former Thomian cricket captain F.H.B. Wood, the Chaplain Trinity a county player, Sam Elhart of Trinity, Victor Ratnawale, H.W. Bobby Jayaweera of Trinity led the side. This team had the distinction of winning the league championship and also played that year in the Connor Cup and the Andriesz Sheild tournaments in Colombo.

During the next few years, the standard of hockey was kept up and in 1950 P.T. Rajan presented a trophy called the P.T. Rajan Cup for the league. Matale who played in the Kandy League, were gradually making their presence felt and won the league championship under George Mant. During that time there was P.T. Rajan Cup for League, M.S. Jainudeen Cup for the League Runners-Up, Seven-a-Side Tournament for K.P.M.M. Seyed Ahamed Challenge Cup and the V.H.L. Anthonisz Challenge Cup for the knock-out tournament. It is said in 1944 M.S. Jainudeen organised a match to help the war effort and that was a great success. The game was played at the Trinity College grounds at Asgiriya. It was played under the patronage of the GA of Kandy, E.T. Dyson CCS, CMG. The game ended in a 2-all draw.

The two teams for the match were:

Kandy (Red Shirts and White Shorts): S. Young (Goal Keeper), H.W. Bobby Jayaweera, G. Benham, B. Thompsett, Fajir Mohamed, T.P.T. Vansranbenzee, G.W.S. Waites, J. Brown, A.J. Telies, R.A. Phearson, A. Shaw - Reserves: S. Booth, F.H.B. Wood, R.B. Wijeisnghe, M.A. Jayaweera.

Colombo (White Shirts and ‘White Shorts’): Q. Wright (Goalkeeper), B. Netzeling, R.R. Parsons, R. Crowe, E.L. Fernando, L. Tisseveerasingham, W.F. de Zylva, Hugh Aldons, C.L. Modonough, W. Jayatilleke and George Mant.

From the year 1950 the league functioned, well and at that time they had no problems about grounds. The grounds Bogambara, Peradeniya Campus Grounds, Police Grounds, Trinity College Grounds were freely available. In 1962, Wesleyite Dr. A. Samad Ismail took over the presidency and did yeoman service to the game. Then in 1969, M.S. Jainudeen took over again. Kandy District Hockey Association should always be grateful to the past presidents like Rev. Fr. Robert M. Perera, S.R. Hamer, G.H. Robinson, K. de Lanerolle, P.T. Rajan, Dr. V.H.L. Anthonisz, George de Saram, Fr. Dom George, R.B. Wijekoon, P. Thangavelu, Lesslie Handunge, Roy de Silva, Rohan Wijenayake, Lakshman Senevirathne Rtd. DIG S. Jayasinghe, and the present R. Maheswaran who is at the helm now and is doing a fine job with limited facilities.