Kiriella keen to develop sports in Kandy

by hafiz Marikar

Minister Lakshman Bandara Kiriella, the most vibrant sports promoter in the hill capital extends his "Congratulations" to Kandy Sports Club for winning the Clifford Cup, the oldest trophy in rugby football which the Kandy Sports Club has won on 19 occasions since 1992 and the league 15 times in the last 21 years.

This year they won both, he says that as ruggerites you all have made Kandy very proud just as much as I also serve you as a Minister of this heritage city, In return, I told the minister, its only rugby which is keeping the Kandy sporting flag flying.

Lakshman Kiriella as popularly known, is a lawyer and current Minister of Plantation Industries, a product of Royal College where he excelled in sports and later for Law College and Kandy Bar Association team.

He was also one time the Minister of Tourism and Sports and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. With all this in mind he is all out to give a flip up for sports in the historic city of Kandy. Speaking to me few days back, the Minister said that every sport in Kandy should be given a flip up, as you said only rugby is doing well at club level, that too thanks to one of your Royal College products Malik Samarawickrema.

When he was the Sports Minister he served well towards his ministry, doing his job without any bias, never interfered, but gave his best for all sports. Tt was he who initiated the current Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium and got the land free as a donation then it was during his time that the Hambantota Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium work got off to a start. When the Pallekelle Stadium was opened this writer of this article, said it will ideal if they can name one of the stands as Lakshman Kiriella stand. If not for his initiative this stadium would not have been constructed to be one of the best in Asia, where a capacity of 35,000 and over can be accommodated for viewing with the Playing area 80.0 meters long, 75.0 meters wide.

Minister wants to help the sportsmen

He said as a sportsmen and promoters, Let's forget our differences and get together to unite sports. People do make mistakes. No one is a Paragon of virtue, today we are all here for a short time so lets get-together and do a good job to develop all sports.

As a citizen of Kandy and a cricket enthusiast, I told the minister, I find it hard to believe that the second most important cricketing city in Sri Lanka has no proper inter-club domestic tournament in cricket, football and hockey.

As far as I can gather nothing, but self-interest and a lack of commitment by the authorities who are supposed to work for the betterment of these sports in this city, Hafiz said and added that if we as lovers of the sports of this beautiful city should get together to improve the standard of all sports. Hafiz added that Kandy has the talent, but not guided in the proper manner.

Sports at school level, boys and girls are at its best, thanks to the efforts of the Principals, parents and the old boys.

Controlling bodies should help

What the Minister thinks is, every controlling body should give a helping hand for the district controlling body, and also ensure how they are promoting the game. He said only during the time of AGM they get active and also the controlling bodies at that time promise the 'sky and the moon'. Many sports promoters have come and gone, without exception all these promoters proclaimed that sports development was their priority.

For sure in the good old days certain amount of development has happened, now it is not there. But as in the case of Kandy's sportsmen, they need better facilities, administrators who know to promote the game. Today, there are enough cricket grounds, and also Kandy has two international cricket stadiums, in rugby Kandy Sports Club's Nittawela grounds can be rated as the best. In the good old days, the Peradeniya University gave a big hand for schools and clubs in cricket, football, hockey, rugger, tennis and athletics. Now it is very rare that a match is played.

International cricket matches, Bradby Shield rugby was earlier played at Peradeniya.

Campus is fortunate to have separate grounds for all sports in-a-row.

Police Grounds was the venue for all sports, which ground helped everyone in the field of cricket, football, hockey, athletics. Most of the schools and clubs did their sports at Police grounds and today the ground is in perfect order, thanks to the top Police officer in Kandy, for pumping the funds to develop this grounds and bring it to a good standard.

Bogambara from take to a playing field

Bogambara Stadium was the main place for sports. In 1897, the grounds were converted from a lake to a playing field. It was mainly cricket playing grounds in the early days. Also at one time it was the site for carnivals, games circuses and gymkhana activities and even an execution ground during the British occupation.

A number of sporting clubs including Kandy Sports Club, Young's Stars SC, Young Wanders SC, Green Field SC and schools including St. Anthony's, Trinity College, Sri Rahula College, St. Paul's (now known as Sri Sumangala College), Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College used the venue to conduct cricket, football, rugby, hockey and athletics.

Bogambara Stadium was not only used for sports, it was also used for folk sports including elle, bahu, thattu and gudu.

Today there is no cricket, but other sports can be played, when it was under the Municipal Council it was at a affordable rate. This ground should first help sports like Football, Hockey and Athletics.

In respect of rugby, a big hand should go to Kandy Sports Club for having developed the rugby ground with the infrastructure to international standards. Trinity College grounds at Asgiriya is fortunate to have an International Cricket Stadium, thanks to late Minister Gamini Dissanayake, they help every club and school at cricket.

Rugby grounds

Trinity have their Rugby Grounds at Pallekelle. At Katugastota, St. Anthony's College have their own grounds below it is the Sri Rahula Grounds.

Dharmaraja College ground is in perfect order, they play cricket and all their practices are held at Lake View.

Kingswood College grounds are at Randle Hills and it was re-developed, but still matches have to be played. The Kingswood grounds are used for rugger, football and hockey.

Vidyartha College and St. Sylvester's have their playing fields at Nittawela and Asgiriya, where junior cricket can be played and they do all their practices there.

Pallekelle Cricket Stadium, helps mostly International Games and big matches for a big fee.

The sporting fraternity of Kandy hopes that Minister Lakshman Kiriella, a sports lover who is residing in Kandy, and keen to developing sports should help the young sportsmen and women by using his initiative to find solutions on how to provide better facilities for all sports in the district.

Kandy has the proud record of having produced some of the greatest sportsmen in years gone by. The authorities should continue the good work so that the Kandy sportsmen and sportswomen should benefit.