Anil Jayasinghe - great player and rugby referee
by Hafiz Marikar
RUGBY-FOOTBALL: Anil Jayasinghe, better known as Anil, was a great
sportsman, coach and referee. Born in Kandy at Nittawela, he had his
early education at Vidyartha College, where he excelled in sports,
especially rugby football and cricket. At school, he led the Rugger and
the Cricket team.
He was an outstanding rugby player for the Outstation Schools, Kandy
Sports Club and Up-Country, He was also in the national pool and had the
privilege of leading both Kandy Sports Club and Up-Country. He led the
Up-Country side against Hong Kong under 24 where the Hong Kong side beat
Up-Country by 23 points to 13 at Bogambara.
The Up-Country team had players like N. Abraham, Athula Manchanayake,
P. Conara, Sean Wanigasekara, Riza Odayar, Dhamika Wickremasinghe, S.
Samarakoon, R. Yatiyawella, C.S. Ekanayake, Channdima Amadoru, Anil
Jayasinghe (Capt), Maurice Joachim, Renni Ibrahim, Ananda
Kasthuriarachchi, Quntin Dias, P. Kumara, K. Ranaweera, S. Jayaweera,
(Kandy Sports Club) B.J. Ratwatte, Ranga Gunasekara (Dickoya MCC).
Anil Jayasinghe turned in several great performances for his club,
for well over a decade, he was a player with good rugby knowledge, and
he used to tell players before he game, that they must try as hard as
possible to run with the ball and to keep it in their possession for as
long as possible.
In tackling too, he used to instruct players to tackle low. Some of
the senior players who were in the side with him wee C.S. Ekanayake,
Maurice Joachim, Athula Manchanayake, Reza Odayar, Rinne Ibrahim,
Chandima Amadoru, K. Ranaweera, Ananda Kasthuriarahchi, Gamini
Jayaweera, to name a few.
He has made a great contribution to uplift the standard of the game
over here in the hills, by his involvement in the fields of refereeing,
coaching and administration. He is also one of the Vice-Presidents of
the Sri Lanka Rugby Referees Society and also the present Secretary of
the Central Province Rugby Football Union.
His outstanding ability in his chosen profession, as well as sports,
enabled him do good things. Anil is a cheerful, energetic and efficient
person in the field of rugby, and has won the hearts of all who came
into contact with him.
He was elected a committee member of the Kandy Sports Club, and also
was ground secretary at one time and maintained and did a lot to make it
a top class rugby field.
After hanging up his boots, prematurely, Anil Jayasinghe took to
refereeing, in 1992, his first game as referee was between CH and FC and
Petersons SC., he has refereed over 250 games.
As a referee who accompanied the Sri Lanka rugby team overseas and
also has blown in overseas tournaments.
One day, after a match over here at Nittawela, Anil told me that the
2004 Presidents Trophy final between the traditional rivals CR and FC
and Havelock Sports Club, played at Longden Place was one of his best.
In the field of coaching, Jayasinghe was a fine coach. He was first
coached by George Jayasena at school level and later at Kandy Sports
Club by Irwin Howie, late Col. Bertie Dias, Anil has coached his school
Vidyartha College, Dharmaraja College, Trinity College both juniors and
Seniors, and also Kandy Sports Club. He also has followed coaching
courses in Scotland, England, Wales.
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