Bogambara Stadium needs facelift to bring it to former standard

by Hafiz Marikar

Bogambara Stadium, Kandy is one of the oldest grounds in the country. This ground is used for sports as well as public functions in Kandy and all major events are held here. Mostly Rugby matches are played during the season, today football is a

forgotten sport funeral pallor both at School and Club level, so, today there is no football at this venue. This stadium has a capacity to accommodate over 30,000 spectators for sports_ranging from Rugby, Football, Hockey, Athletics, Netball, Basketball, Softball Cricket.

Earlier this stadium was the main cricket venue, even overseas teams have played here. Sometime back there was a proposal that the Bogambara Stadium should be named "Duncan White Stadium" in recognition of the great athlete brining honor to Sri Lanka at the Olympics. It is understood that he also trained at Bogambara while at Trinity College, Kandy.

In the early days it was also used for folk sports like elle, bahu, thattu, gudu etc. going back to it's past Bogambara Stadium was converted from a lake to a playing field in the year 1897.

At one time, it was the site for the annual perahera carnivals, games circuses and gymkhana activities and even an execution ground during the British occupation.

From 1957 to the 1960's, Bogambara was used as a makeshift central market premises due to the demolition of the "old market to construct the new one.

Bogambara Stadium was renovated into a stadium in 1972, thanks to the Special Commissionership of late M.B. Samarakoon, Noel Wimlasena, E.L. Senanayake the two MPs, and E.W. Balasuriya the famous sports promoter for helping them to upgrade the grounds to a stadium with their generous donations.

Then in 1998, late Anurudha Ratwatte, the then Deputy Defence minister was instrumental in giving a facelift, So, the re-development initiated by Anurudha Ratwatte, under patronage of the Municipal Council leadership of Harindra Dunuwila and this writer was the Chairman of the Sports Committee, the stadium had a

facelift in order to host the Independence Celebrations in Kandy.

Celebrations put off

However, unfortunately the celebrations were cancelled due a bit of unrest in the City at that time.

However, after the renovations, they promised to return back the stadium to the Municipal Council, but until now they have failed to honour their promises. Instead the stadium is presently under the ownership of the Sports Ministry and handled by (Sugathadasa Sports Complex).

Unfortunately in view of the ground fees being on the high side and the less affluent schools and clubs are finding it difficult to keep the sports alive, and in fact sports activities in Kandy are on the decline.

Bogambara has a long histroy. The right side of the entrance rose to the Hatton hills with the colonial tea estates right up to the end of the grounds.

At a point where the tea bushes ended, nestled the sampled red roofed pavilion. Still more beautiful were the bridge spanned with a trout stream from the pavilion to the playing field.

To the left of the entrance in aloof majesty and marshalled by a path immaculately paved with white sand and bordered by a fenced palm grove, Bogambara's red brick prison tactfully brooked no entry.

On the far side spread virgin jungle, partly belonging to Udawatta Kalle forest conserving water to the Kandy town.

Bogambara was raw! Merged into disciplined surroundings.

The playing field was for members only. But to the few planters that were the members, of the Kandy District owed indeed much.

All sports are very keenly witnessed and supported by the local public and this trend in the past paid dividend with several sportsman and sports women representing the country with honour to their town and the nation.

What, Kandy needs today is a well equipped sports stadium like the one at Nawalapitiya.

The only person who can promote and give a helping hand to this dire need for sports is non other than the President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage,

the public awe a 'Big thank you'. The well equipped Gymnasium at Bogambra, which was opned by President Mahinda Rapakse last year, is well patronized today.

This Stadium in Kandy needs a facelift, not so much in the buildings but the playing area. Some of the rugby matches were postponed and some had to start late, due to poor ground conditions. Today the slightest shower of rain the ground get waterlogged and the drainage system needs to be sorted out.

Earlier owners, the Kandy Municipal Council did a good job. The ground was freely available for everyone on request at affordable rates, even schools are finding it difficult now to have their sports meets.

First visit as 8 year-old

I was eight years when I made my first acquaintance with Bogambara when with my grandfather we used to watch a football match between Young Stars SC and Young Wanderers SC which game I can still remember and it ended in a two-all draw. Next was a rugger match, the traditional Bradby Shield encounter where Glen Vanlangenberg's Trinity team beat I.R. Thurairatnam's Royal side.

Football has many memories and achievements, where some of the top footballers in the country trained at this ground. At hockey, the cream of Kandy's players were groomed here at this grounds. To name one or two, Tom Ossen, M. Aluwihare, Tuany Amidon, D.H. Vithanage. Cricket was rarely played at Bogambara, but it was at this ground, cricket was played first over here in Kandy on a matting wicket.

Today both these sports are in the doldrums with Kandy playing only domestic tournaments.

One of the best tournaments seen at this stadium was the Singer Sri Lankan Airlines Rugby 7's (International) rugby sevens, organized by Kandy Sports Club under the chairmanship of Iswan Omar established in 1999, to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Kandy Sports Club.

This tournament went on for ten long years until 2008, actually this 7's event brought together all the rugby playing Asian countries on to one platform for the first time.

Thereafter, this event was shifted to Colombo under the Calton Rugby 7's format and they too played one tournament at the Bogambara Stadium in 2012.