Technical reasons prevented Malcolm Bulner representing Ceylon and Australia at Olympics

by Hafiz Marikar

St. Sylvester's College has produced some of the top class sportsmen. This is a school situated in the heart of the seat of ancient Sinhala Kings and remains as the one and only school in the country, if not in the whole world to have produced a sportsman who was selected to represent two different countries at two different Olympic Games.

That sportsman is Malcolm Bulner. He was the eldest of the famous Bulner brothers. He represented Ceylon at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and later selected to represent Australia at the following Olympic Games, but he was deprived of achieving this feat for technical reasons.

Malcolm who became an Australian National later, qualified as a world class boxing judge and officiated at several boxing meets in Australia. He also boxed for the country at the Empire Games in Perth and the Asian Games in Bangkok.

Malcolm, a South Paw, was the best boxer produced by Derrick Raymond the famous coach who was in England and passed away a few years back. Malcolm won several national titles before emigrating to Australia. His three brothers Michael, Noel and Clifford, too were good boxers in the lower weights.

Derek Raymond is a famous name in the boxing world here in Sri Lanka and some of the boxers who climb the ladder of success were: Nimal Lewke - now a retired DIG, Police. He was also a stylish boxer and brought honour to the country at several meets locally and internationally and was adjudged the best boxer at national meets.

He also hit the top in the rugby arena where he was a top player, later a coach, referee and the first to head a national body that was Rugby. The others who come to mind are: A.C.R. Herathge, M. Reyal, S.A. Azwer, H. Gunasinghe, N. Thirukumar.

Donald Labrooy - first to win National Title

The first Sylvestrian to win a national boxing title was Donald G. Labrooy who won the Bantam Weight title in early 1950s.

He was followed by Malcolm Marshall, Milroy de Soysa, Annabel de Soysa, M.E. Marikar John Gye and Old Royalist Roy Amarasinghe.

Boxing was synonymous with St. Sylvester's which was in the forefront of schools boxing, winning the coveted Stubbs Shield several times (within fourteen years they won on 12 occasions.)

Origin of St.Sylvester's dates back to the early 1940s when the late Rev.Fr. Robert M. Perera, OSB founded St. Sylvesters.

It was late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike's government that took over and made the private school a government school. Later principals like late D.J.N. Seneviratne and late Bertie Nillegoda, W. Gopallawa, Asoka Herath as Principals gave their best and present man T. Metiyagoda, too, has a big hand.

St. Sylvester's does all its work producing boxers, cricketers, footballers, hockey players, athletes and ruggerites with limited facilities. It is said that during the early years after the 2nd World War, St.Sylvester's was entitled to use the Police Barracks.

The pint-size ground was expanded with the help of Sylvestrian students and also the Principal of Trinity College permitted the Sylvestrians to use the Asgiriya Grounds for athletic practices and sports meets free of charge.

In athletics, Sylvestrians produced an athlete who broke a Public Schools record and was one of the country's crack sprinters. Felix Samarawickrema is the athlete who later crossed over to St.Joseph's College. He lowered the Public Schools 440 yards sprint with a timing of 10.6 seconds.

Felix Samarawickrema was chosen to represent the country at the Empire Games in 1949 along with Trinity College's Duncan White, but had to pull out due to a muscle injury and Vivian Blaze took his place.

Some top athletes did come out of this school, in the 1950 Cyril Ranatunge, P. Thangavelu, Ananda Daswatte, G.S. Fernando, M.E. Marikar, S. Wickremasuriya, Leslie and Malcolm Marshall and later there were several L.S.B. Cabral, Rodney David, W.R.P. Dias, S.B. Pattapola, Erick B. Perera.

Football - popular sport

Football was another popular sport from 1940's to 1960s. Some of the players played for the country and others for Kandy, Up-Country and others at their work places.

Mahinda Aluwihare, the first Sylvestrian to lead the country. The others who shone in the early days before Mahinda Aluwihare were: N.E. Perera, I.M. Saheed, Edmund Samaraweera, A.H.M. Jabbar, Jaya Aluwihare, R.P. Wijesiri, Tony Direckze, Percy Samaraweera, Rukman and Rajendra de Silva M.E. Marikar captained in 1953, Donald G. Labrooy, Abdul Razak, Gerad David, I.M. Anver, Hector Galuge, M. Ayub. There were many others who followed them.

At Cricket it was M.E. Marikar - the first to play Premier Cricket without playing for the school. He was followed by Abdul Razak, Nihal Samarasekera became the first to play for the Ceylon team before Test status, Ishak Sahabdeen was the first to play for the country after Test status.

Later St. Sylvester's produced a galaxy of cricketers, the man who reached the top in coaching was Malcolm Perera who hit the highest spot in coaching, though he did not play for the country. He went up as Sri Lanka Cricket Coaching Director and later Manager.

Though Rugger is new, some of the sylvesterians who played club rugger without playing for the school were: Malcolm Marshall, Cyril Aluwihare, Hector Gallage, Sarath Basnayake, Gerard David, Tony Direckez, Nimal Lewke, H. Marikar, M. Jamilon, V. Ratnayake and Manjula Pathirana became the first to play for the Combined Schools after rugger was started.