Late Nimal Maralande - a true sportsman
By Hafiz Marikar
Nimal Maralande the famous Trinity College, Kandy and Sri Lanka
ruggerite and cricketer. He made his school Trinity, Kandy, his home
town Kurunegala, Colombo and Sri Lanka proud in the field of rugger and
cricket. He was a classy fly half, of the calibre of Archibald Perera,
Ago Paiva, Mohan Sahayam, Glen Vanlangenberg, Irwin Howie, Frank Hubert,
Omar Sheriff, today there is a fly-half of his calibre Kandy Sports
Club's Fazil Marija.
Nimal first played rugger for his school in 1956 under the guidance
of late Col. Bertie Dias, and the leadership of D.N. Frank, that year
Trinity College was rated as the best school team. His team mates were
Ken de Joodt, M.V. Boteju, A.J.W. Balthazar, Franklyn Jacob, R.J. de
Silva, G. Weerasinghe, U. Atanayake, J. Dias de Singhe, Uvais Odayar,
R.N. de Alwis, S.P de Silva, A.S.B. Ellepola, Mike de Alwis., that year
they won both the Bradby 'legs', 15-0 and 11-0.
In the following year, 1957, Trinity won both 'legs' again 8-0 and
9-8.
In 1958, again it was under the captaincy of Ken de Joodt. That year
Royal won the first leg 6-0 and the 'second leg' ended in a nil-all
draw. Maralande was able to get only the rugger colours in 1956 along
with Mike de Alwis, R.N. De Alwis, S.P. De Sylva, A.S.B. Ettipola, A.R.
Frank and Uvais Odayar.
Maralande left school at the end of the first term in 1959, and along
with his good friend D.C. Abeyratne went for practices at CR and FC that
was due to his father's request, A.P. Maralande, who led Trinity cricket
in 1921 like his son won colours at cricket. A.P., was able to lead the
cricket team for three years 1920, in 1921 and 1922 and won the cricket
lion in 1920.
Both Nimal and D.C Abeyaratne were not happy with the set up at CR &
FC, and these two were refused to use the bar facilities and they left
the club in couple of days and joined Havelock Sports Club, which Club
he led in 1965. Nimal was also in the committee for a long spell and
President in 1976 and 1977 later was a honorary life member.
Nimal played for the All Ceylon Barbarians in 1959 against the
Combined Oxford/Cambridge, then for All Ceylon in the All-India
tournament in 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1963 as a captain and 1964, he led
the country before his club. In 1964 he played for the country against
the British Joint Forces XV, led the low-Country in their annual game
against Up-Country and Defence Services.
He was famous for his long kicks and up-and-unders. He played as a
fly-half.
Nimal was also a fine cricketer during his school days. It was at
cricket he did well at the start, but rugger 'robbed' him and while at
school he was a classy cricketer, if he had played serious cricket like
rugger, he would have been a top Sri Lanka cricketer.
He won the bowling prize in 1956, Fielding in 1957 and batting in
1958. He won his cricket colours in 1955 with A.S.B. Ellepola, G.
Koelmeyer and Uvais Odayar and the 'Lion' in 1959 along with Malsiri
Kurukulasooriya, W.S. de Chickera. Maralande led the Central Province
Schools and the Combined Schools team. While in Colombo, played for NCC
in the premier tournament.
While at school, Maralande was in tennis too, where Trinity played
tennis as a club. Then later Trinity in nineteen fifties sent teams to
participate in the Public Schools meets in Colombo and the school
authorities relented to the extent that Tennis colours were awarded to
three players who did well at these meets.
In 1957, 58 and 59 Nimal was also a Prefect. He also won the A.H.R.
Joseph Challenge Cup in 1958 presented to all round excellence in sports
at Trinity. Nimal's forte was team spirit and in rugby whenever he got
the ball, he never made it for himself, he sent the ball down the line.
Even in cricket he was a team man.
Nimal is no more, but still sportsmen talk about his gentleman like
qualities on the sports field.
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