The Mohan Sahayam –Keith Paul Special

Sahayam had dash and dazzle and Paul had art and craft. They would at times borrow these attributes from each other. Yet Sahayam was flashy and outgoing while Paul was reserved and introspective. Their divine call and gift was common: rugby. Their goal was to win. But their credo was to do so with an absolute gentlemanly flavour and fervor.

And so it seemed even four and a half decades later as they met in Canada, earlier this week in Toronto, to celebrate and honour the visit of Mohan Sahayam who was visiting North America with his wife Penny.

It was in 1964 that that Keith Paul captained Royal and Sahayam captained Trinity. The Bradby was billed as Paul vs Sahayam as both captains were renowned for their leadership. But the flash of Sahayam raised expectations that he would pull it off –especially as he was the gifted magician who we expected to do the unexpected—aptly termed ‘Sahayam Specials’.

The surprise elements in his style remain legendary to this day. But Royal won both Bradby games that year. The return in Kandy brought the spectacular surprise from Royal’s Lucky Dissanayake who dropped goaled to score 11 of Royals 14 points against the grain of a dazzling Sahayam Special in the opening minutes of the game.

Emotional gift to Sahayam

As they met and warmly embraced each other at the residence of host Sam Canagasabay in Toronto in the company of over 50 guests it was Keith Paul who sprung the ‘Special’. He gifted the Rugger ball used in the 1964 Bradby with the names of the players inscribed on it to his buddy Sahayam who was emotionally overwhelmed by this gesture of goodwill and graciousness.

Thankfully this get-together was not a Royal-Trinity affair although it was hosted by Trinity Lion Sam Canagasabay and wife Ranjini —-their winning qualities know no bounds. That Sam is the unofficial ambassador for Trinity in Toronto, if not in the whole of Canada, is no secret: the number plate of his car –‘TCKOBA’- reveals his leanings.

There were three Sri Lanka Rugby caps in Keith Paul, Hamzi Hameed, the Perterite Captain, and Sahayam. Present were also two second rowers— Thomian Cecil Pereira and Peterite Freddie Paiva. Then there were Trinity caps Henry Dullewe the dashing wing three-quarter, and stand off Mahendra Talwatte. Also present was Professor Nissanka Pussegoda who in the ‘60s was the unofficial statistician on all things rugby.

With such an array of personalities there was much banter, yarns and reminiscences –much of which was from Sahayam himself who cracked his old jokes with a blend of new spice.

The story goes that Sam Canagasabay was told by Sahayam’s close friend the Gotabaya Dissanayake, in their CR& FC days, that if he was to collect 69 bottles of empty VAT ’69s and return them to Cargills they would gift him with a precious and exclusive vintage bottle of VAT ’70. What happened when Sam went to Cargills with 69 bottles is another story by itself. The search for the mystery VAT ‘70, continues!

Many juicy stories

Another Sahayam story: Trinity stand-off Talwatte, at a crucial moment in a match, kicked the ball in the run of play towards the goal, but the ball went the other way. When asked how this happened, Talwatte argued that it was the monsoon season—-from then on Talwatte earned the nickname : Monsoon Talwatte!

Then there was the story of Cecil Perera who would take the place-kicks for S. Thomas’ and later for the CR & FC. It was the Army- CR semifinals and in the very last minute of the game a penalty was awarded to CR, 25 yards out just by the touch line. To take the kick, Cecil needed to step backwards, in semi darkness, into the thick crowd by the touch line. And then he converts. Back in the club house, Malcolm Wright the President of CR, Sahayam says, told him that it must have been someone from the crowd who did the conversion, as Cecil’s recent form could not add up to him having converted such a difficult kick!

Back to the Bradby: according to Keith Paul, Abey de Mel was gifted by his religious convictions to be able to predict games. Abey postulated that Royal will win, but Sahayam will score, in spite of being a tightly marked player. And indeed Royal won but Sahayam scored.

Difficult passes made Sahayam a great player

When asked how he became such a talented stand-off who could juggle the ball so well from difficult angles, Sahayam attributes his skill to his college mate Nahil Wijesuriya who during the inter-house rugby matches paired off as scrum half.

“Nahil’s passes were terrible and I had to use my geometrical talents to bend at different angles to collect the ball. That was great, although unintended, training.”

In not sparing his friend, Sahayam recalls the entrepreneurial talents of Wijesuriya: he would leave home with five rupees in his pocket but return with ten. “Don’t ask me how Tycoon Nahil doubles his wealth!”

The Sahayam tour brought him to Washington DC as well, where the Trinitains led by Rugby Lion Dasarath Kiridena, Cheruka Weerakoon, Kishan Ellepola and your columnist among others hosted him. And in New York, Royal’s Ambassador Extraordinary, Mithila Gunaratne, takes over the honours as this week!

All this has been an occasion to recap the talent of this terrific Stand-off which the column once summed up as: ‘Zaruk slings out a long pass to Sahayam. Aladdin’s lamp is rubbed and then the “magic” unfolds: Sahayam collects the ball, pretends to toss it in the air, then fakes a pass, and appears to recapture it.

Time’s winged chariot seems to be at his back as he changes direction and in a compelling move makes the lightening field look so plodgy.

It is so fast and flashy as he darts his way through 35 yards. The players seem frozen. It is so fast and slick that the crowds’ cheers suddenly choke off. It is so fast and elegant that the sound of marvel, for a moment, dies in their throats. And then the reality dawns: that the instantly classic signature of the “Sahayam Special” has been delivered.

The crowd bursts into a deafening roar.

To contact Mohamed Muhsin: e mail [email protected]
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