Cricketer 'Para' - veteran BRC President's services recognised

by A.C. de Silva

Havelock Park, and BRC, now many people will come out at once to say that the club-Burgher Recreation Club had many members leaving with the departure of Army's head Russel Heyn after he went off to Australia many years ago.

There was no one to carry on the activities of the club and in came Jayantha Paranathala to take things upon himself and he put the BRC once again in ship-shape and got things moving.

It is on the sports field that Jayantha Paranathala stood head and shoulders above many others, though he did not go boasting about his capabilities.

He represented Sri Lanka in Cricket, represented Police in hockey, represented his school Isipathana College at Rugger, was a Vice-President of the Board of control for cricket, a National Selector and Sri Lanka team manager.

Appointment as Justice of Peace (All-Island).

Paranathala has been appointed as the Justice of Peace (All-Island) by Minister of Justice and Oath given before the District Court Judge of Mt. Lavinia on 29th May 2014. The J.P. Identity card was received by 'Para' in early August 2014.

DIG Paranathala retired from the Police and then was attached to the BRC as President. He has been President of BRC since 1988.

'Para' worked hard to lift BRC. He was instrumental in working out many projects for BRC, the most important of them was putting up of a four-storied pavilion of the BRC next to Havelock Sports Club which used to generate a monthly income of around Rs. 350,000 for the club. In the 25 years the four-storied building worked wonders and the BRC's highest income derived was the above figure safter the BRC started club activities since 1846. It gave Paranathala and the members of the BRC immense satisfaction.

Now Paranathala was educated at Isipathana M.V. He played cricket briefly after leaving Isipathana for the BRC in 1971-72 and was a committee member of the club since then.

Paranathala was with the Police for nearly 40 years.

One of the major reasons for BRC running the affairs of the club on a successful note is the fine administrative work done by Jayantha Paranathala and his team of fine administrators.

He has a proud record of being the first Isipathana schoolboy to represent Sri Lanka at cricket and outside the sports field, he was the first Isipathana schoolboy to hold the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police.