Football in Kandy gasping for breath

by Hafiz Marikar

Kandy enjoyed the glory of the best sport played by the British in Ceylon during the past decades. Now this sport is on the decline and one wonders whether Kandy's football will regain its former glory?

looking back into Kandy football reveals that soccer in Kandy had its origins in the mid 1930's during the world war when the British Units were stationed in Kandy, with the one time Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in South East Asia, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten had his headquarters in the hill capital,and he gave a good flip up for the game.

Today, all the facilities for the game are there, but the sport is virtually dead, especially in Kandy, no inter club domestic football is played.

This applies to the schools as well,. Presidents and officials come and go but the game is at a standstill. Before AGM"s there are talks of building modern stadiums etc.but there after all's forgotten.

In the 1930's when football was given priority, some first class British footballers displayed their versatility, representing the Kingstown and Queenstown regiments, the Royal Artillery and also the East African Rifles, who had quite a few Negro stars in the side. So, the game increased in popularity day by day, because it was played with great interest and enthusiasm. Some of the clubs which took to the game in the 1930's were, Old Antonians SC, Old Kingswoodians SC, Police SC, Kandy YMCA, Greenfield SC, Kandy Sports Club, Phoenix SC, St. Michael's SC, Gampola Chums, Rovers SC, Kandy YMMA and Red Stars SC Kandy AFC found

It was at that time the Kandy District Amateur Football League was formed. It subsequently changed its name to Kandy Association Football League. And served football in Matale, Gampola, Nawalapitiya, Kurunegala and Kegalle, and as the years passed by, these towns formed their own leagues.

When Football in Colombo and elsewhere received a setback as far as Ceylonese exponents of the game were concerned, the game was more or less confined to the permanent population as well as to the Services. Early in 1942, however, there appeared to be a lack of interest in the game, and the efforts made by S.C.Traill the then secretary to call a meeting of the League having failed he was compelled to return the trophies to the donors.

At that time the game seemed to be seriously affected. But fortunately G.H. Robins, T.P.C. Roberts who were then stationed in Kandy and M.S.Jainudeen were mainly responsible in resuscitating the game.

A tournament for the Main Shield was inaugurated with the participating of the Services Footballers in Kandy and foot ball began to thrive again. At that time Bogambara was the location of high activity.

Football popular among masses

Football as a national sport has had wide acceptance amongst our people - particularly the common masses and the middle class. From its humble beginning almost over a hundred years, it has come to stay as the most popular mass sport. As years went on football flourished in Kandy, and several schools in an around Kandy took up the game. It was St. Anthony's College, who first played football. It must be recalled that late M.S.Jainudeen as Secretary of Kandy football, went all out to popularize the game in Kandy.

Kandy is a founder member of the football's controlling body. In the good old days league, knockout and sevens tournaments were conducted with over 250 matches, with only one ground available, that is Bogambara.

From the early years of barefoot competitions to the present day age of modern football, Kandy played a vital role in its growth. Of lately football has surprisingly taken a back seat in Kandy.. Previously the game was promoted to great heights and also produced a President and Secretary from Kandy.

First president KKFL

First president from Kandy at FFSL was DIG Bodi Liyanage and the first secretary was this writer. And some of the people who gave a big hand for football in the early days were people like late Col. V. H. L. Anthonis, A. C. L. Ratwatte E.L. Senanayake, M.S. Jainudeen, Dr. C.D.L. Fernando promoters of the early days.

In the early days, football flourished in Kandy, and schools were the nursery of the clubs. Where St. Anthony's, Kingswood, Dharmaraja, Sri Rahula, St. Paul's (now known as Sri Sumangala), Berravettes, Vidyaratha and St. Sylvester's excelled. In 1963 the Kandy Schools Football Association was formed and it did an excellent job to promote the game. Zahira Gampola, Nugawela Central, Gampola Vidyalaya, Wickrimabahu, Katherasen from Nawalapitiya, Highlands from Hatton and Zahira Matale played under the Kandy Schools Association.

In 2010 president of the controlling body, in a surprise move dissolved the hard working committee and appointed a new committee. Resulting a completely break down in the tournament structure.

Today football is a forgotten game in Kandy. An English rugby coach who visited Kandy, after watching a Kandy Sprats Club rugger game at Nitawella, was sad to learn the state of football in the hill capital

Years back football was the most popular sport in Kandy. Today, rugby has taken centre stage.

Football has apparently hit rock bottom. When will Kandy football reach its past glory?