Manilal's help for football should be weighed in gold

By Hafiz MARIKAR

Football:When one speaks of Sri Lanka football it is associated with Manilal Fernando's contribution for this game should be weighed in gold, his great services towards the game has been remarkable, he is a veteran football administrator, helping every one in the field of football with significant vision to raise the standards of its structure to International recognition. When the history of football is spoken about the influence and guidance of Manilal Fernando is immense to promote football at various levels. Sri Lanka lives upto expectations as a great sporting nation in the Asian region while making vast strides on the international scene, both here and overseas in football. Thanks to the untiring efforts of Manilal will stand alongside the greatest administrators the country has seen; his style of leadership is different from the rest.

There was Gamini Dissanayke, Ana Punchihewa, Upali Darmadasa, Thilanga Sumathipala, Arjuna Ranatunga in cricket, Y.C. Chang in rugger, Frouse Saheed and Jagath Sumathipla in Cue sports, to name a few whose passion for sports has lifted the entire nation towards a new era. Manilal was president of the FFSL on many occasions, and now the Chairman - Management Committee, and senior Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation and also serves as the FIFA development officer.

Many seem to have forgotten the glorious moments of the sport, but there are a few who remember the part played by officials who do an excellent job without which the organisation cannot exist and one such one person is Manilal. Sadly today, there is no one to carry on the consistency of Manilal. He promoted the game in the correct path with a vision, unlike today's football administrators, where they take personal vengeance with ulterior motive for personal benefits which is detrimental to the game on the whole. Manilal has been there, with the game since 1979, and kept the game going with all sort of criticism, and helped people like late Minister Weerasinghe Mallimarachchi, late J.N.S. Anandaraja, Retired DIG Bodhi Liyanage, Retired DIG Gamini Randeni, Thilina Pantditharathne, Hurley Silvera to head and do a good job in the proper way.

Manilal - top sportsman

Manilal a product of Tissa MV Kalutara and Ananda College, was top sportsman during his school days, played football and was an athlete at Tissa MV, played rugger for Ananda College, he was in the Ananda College team in the inaugural Gopallawa shield game. At the Law College he played cricket and also turned out for Kalutara Town Club. Today he is a football promoter and a great philanthropist with a huge contribution for the promotion and development of football throughout the Island.

He is the one who incited a new turn during his period with the construction of a fully fledged football house with the help of FIFA, AFC and Holcim, and it came to operation mainly due to his efforts on 15th day of May 2001.

This day was the greatest day for football in Sri Lanka when Sepp Blatter big boss of FIFA opened it during Lakshman Kiriella's sports Minister-ship, it was Minister S.B. Disanayake who allocated the land for this football house when he was the Sports Minister, to fulfil this project he was ably backed by late J.N.S Anandaraja, Chrysantha Perera and a few others. The Football House has all what is needed for the game, then he built the Baddegana Training Center, developed football playing grounds at Kalutara with a stadium, City Football League, Matara, Badulla, Vauniya, Hatton to name a few projects.

Manilal during his tenure in office has spent lavishly with personal funds, without him some league tournaments would not have survived. The question now is, can others take on and continue the good job, why don't others too follow his footpath without criticizing and killing the game of football. He too was involved in sports like cricket, was in the Ex-co during the World Cup in 1996 and also Vice President of the NOC at one time.

Manilal has given off his best for football in the country, as he has helped several lesser known Footballers, Coaches, Referees, today some are in top positions in the AFC and FIFA, he is the one who helped them to go overseas for training, to officiate matches and some went as Match Commissioners and most of them are well off, even the children are in position through football, It was he who helped our Coaches to gain and Referees, Linesmen to AFC status. Every football promoter should take advice or follow the footsteps of Manilal who has proved himself as the best where records reveal undoubtedly as a great promoter. Manilal says Football today is perhaps one of the most popular sports in the world, which was introduced by the Europeans. From the early years of barefoot competitions to the present age of sophisticated football, Sri Lanka has played a vital role in its growth. He said the world governing body FIFA, with approximately 270 million active players, the most widespread sport. FIFA is made out of 2008 national member associations, more than any other international organisations. The present minister of sports C.B. Ratnayake a ardent supporter of football, many a times has told me the best game to promote in rural level is football and he is ever willing to give a flip-up, he is one of the finest in sports minister's job.

WRITER ADDS ABOUT FOOTBALL AND ITS HISTORY IN SRI LANKA - Some countries like China, Greece, England and Italy have claims to the origin of the game.

As early as 200 BC the Chinese played the game with a leather ball, using both feet, mostly to keep the objective under control.

The Greeks enjoyed a similar sport called Hasrptusm. However, it was England that gave the game of football a methodical and meaningful outlook, by using the inflated balder of or as the sphere, to begin with. Infact League Football, as it is now called, had its beginning in England.

With the Naval superiority of England in all its splendour and the English domination of the seven seas in full fury, the British sailors carried the game of football to the lands they conquered, with almost national fervour.

A look at the origins of football in countries that today, saw world class skills at the game reveals the English influence at the source of development. It is the British who introduced the game to the Americans, Europe and Asia through their battalions, regiments and brigades.

It is not possible to say exactly, when football was introduced to us, because here again, the origins are out literally in the mists of time.

However, there is evidence of the game being played on the sprawling sandy stretches familiarly termed as the Galle Face Green by bare chested British servicemen stationed in and around Colombo in the 1890's.

The service barracks grounds at Echelon Square, the present Galadari Hotel premises, and the Army Rugger grounds, the present premises Taj Samudra Hotel, were the popular football venues. British service unit such as the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery and the Royal Garrison Command were the pioneers who promoted competitive football in this country.

British spread the game

The British administrative service and the British planting community took the sport to the Central, Up-Country and Southern areas with equal zest and fervour. By early 1900 football as a competitive sport, was popular amongst the locals youth, though paying bare footed, our lads had mastered the skills, and in fact donned the service jerseys as replacement or reserves in many an exclusively white dominated teams.

It was in Colombo that the first Association of Football League was formed, at the Bristol Hotel in April 1911. H. French was elected as the President, with H.K. Crosskey as the Secretary General. During the World War I, the sport became inactive and once again in 1920 the Colombo Association Football League was revived and named as Colombo Football Association League, with Herbert Dobiggin as President.

Then in 1918 the Colombo Mercantile Football Association League was formed and it was followed by the Government Service Football Association. The City Football League was inaugurated in 1922. Somewhere in 1920's the Southern Province Football Association League was formed, mainly due to the keenness of a British planter in Deniyaya. He was responsible in forming the Galle Association Football League.

In the mid 1920's Football was introduced to Kandy. That was during the World War, when the Britain units were stationed in Kandy, with one time Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in South East Asia. Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten having his headquarters in Kandy. In early 1940's, Kandy made it the District Football League, and it served football not only in Kandy but also in places like Gampola, Nawalapitiya, Hatton, Matale, Kurunegala and Kegalle and as years passed by the game became popular, and the they formed their own leagues. Then in 1939 the Jaffna Football Association was formed with W. G. Spencer as the Head. Then in 1950's the game got off to a start in Anuradhapura.

National Controlling body

With the sport taking a keen interest, there was a need of National Controlling Body for the game. With several meetings in which people like Sir John Tarbat, R.H. Marks, C.W. Mackie, R. Mackie, Donavan Andree to name a few, met on several occasions, and finally had a meeting and the National Body for Football was formed under the name of Ceylon Football Association, the meeting was held at the Gale Face Hotel and the following were elected: - Sir John Tarbat (Patron), C.W. Mackie (President), J.C. Robinson, J. Forbes, S.C. Traill, R. Brough and Lt.Col. Stanley Fernando as Vice Presidents, R. Mackie (Secretary General), Donavan Andree (Treasurer). During the time of this election, the 2nd World War was in full cry.

The inspiration and motivation given by Manilal Fernando has undoubtedly helped Sri Lanka Football to reach greater heights in the World today.

His success had a great amount of significance considering the fact that his leadership was that made all officials to rally round him with commitment and dedication for impressive achievements as you can see in the system.