Emotional cricket fans take their lives

By Ananda Agalakada

The ICC World Twenty20 2012 held in Sri Lanka ended with the West-Indies winning the World Cup and defeating Sri Lanka by 36 runs on Sunday, October 7. There could be only one winner in any sport and the Windies grabbed the opportunity at the Premadasa Stadium that fateful day.

Mahendran Suresh	Preethika Ranaweera	K.A. Ashan Lakshitha

However it is sad to note that a section of cricket enthusiasts and fans are unable to grasp the defeat in good spirits and are behaving in a manner as if it was the end of the world for them. Sri Lanka cricket loving youngsters were seen disappointed and agonised witnessing the trashing of the Sri Lanka team at the hands of the Windies in the finals. They lost all hopes in the backdrop of preparing to celebrate victory on a grand scale. 'Hope for the best but prepare for the worst' should have been their motto. Unfortunately destiny took its toll and the rest is history.

In the aftermath of the defeat, gruesome news unprecedented in the annals of sporting history of the island keep surfacing from different parts of the country, about loss of precious lives. Two fans committed suicide by hanging themselves. A pregnant woman lost her life in shock.

Mahendran Suresh 26, of Hatton, was a bachelor. He endured a hard life with his parents and sister, working in a quarry to support his family. Mahendran had much love and respect for the Sri Lanka cricket team. He never-missed to watch a single game irrespective of whether played in the home soil or abroad. He always praised the Sri Lanka team with his friends and had high hopes that Sri Lanka would clinch the World Cup.

That fateful Sunday, Mahendran had gone to his friend's house to watch the Twenty20 final match. When he arrived there six others were already watching the match in his friend's house. Among the spectators were a few Indian fans loyal to the Indian cricket team. While they were admiring Indian cricketer Dhoni and his team, Mahendran admired the ability of Thisara Perera and Lasith Malinga of the Sri Lankan team and expressed confidence in no uncertain terms on the ability of Sri Lanka to end triumphantly.

When the Sri Lanka team lost the finals, Mahendran was bewildered. Mahendran's friends started to gibe him sarcastically. Mahendran had consumed liquor and returned home within half an hour. A little later his mother, father and sister had left the house to visit a neighbour, and Mahendran locked the doors.

After a while, they had come back home to prepare dinner for Mahendran and his mother knocked on the door. As there was no answer, they entered the house breaking a window in the kitchen. When they entered the house they saw Mahendran hanging from a green coloured sari from a beam in his bedroom. Mahendran was then taken to the hospital with the assistance of neighbours. The hospital staff revealed that Mahendran had lost his life on the way to the hospital.

Meanwhile, K.A. Ashan Lakshitha, 17, of Hiripola Hanwella had committed suicide by hanging on the branch of a mango tree in his compound. His mother Indurugollage Don Thushari, 40, giving evidence before the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths C.M.K. Chinthaka Udayakumara said, she had two daughters and one son. The deceased was the second in the family. He studied up to the Ordinary Levels at the Kaluaggala Bosco and was unemployed. He had a love affair with a girl from Padukka although he had never revealed any details about it to his parents. He had however spoken a few minutes with his girlfriend over the phone before he went to bed that ill-fated day.

She said her son with his sister and brother-in-law had gone to the Galle Face Green to watch the twenty20 final match on a giant screen that Sunday evening. Her son had came home around 2 am after watching the cricket match, and had gone to bed after dinner. Early morning the following day when Lakshitha opened the door to go out for her morning chores she saw her son hanging from a rope on the mango tree in the compound. Lakshitha's sister K.A. Nadisha Nishanthi, 20, too gave evidence.

Another tragedy was reported from Nawala. Preethika Ranaweera, 35, of Nawala Koswatta was expecting her second child. She was fascinated by cricket from her childhood. She loved cricket so much that she used to watch cricket matches without even having her meals. She could have been in the National Sport Pool 2003 if not for her love of cricket. She continued playing cricket until she became pregnant, and had to keep away from the sport temporarily.

Preethika used to watch ICC Twenty20 matches from its inception. She hailed overwhelmingly any victory of the Sri Lanka team. She was sad and astonished when she saw Sri Lanka crumble under the pressure of the West Indies team.

Preethika could not believe her eyes when she saw Sri Lanka losing, on the TV. She could not control her emotions and suddenly holding her chest with her hands told her mother that she was having a chest pain. She was on the verge of delivering her second child. Preethika was rushed to the hospital by her relatives. Although doctors strived hard to save Preethika's life and her unborn child, their efforts proved futile.

In the aftermath of these tragic incidents it is vital to create some sport sense among the public to enjoy sports in the spirit of sports and the importance of facing defeat and victory alike without allowing emotions to take its toll. That is the only way that tragedies of this nature could be avoided in the future.