|
Badminton Association of Ceylon formed in 1950 and
N.M. de Silva pioneered badminton...:
Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage pioneered construction of
Jayatilleke stadium at Nawalapitiya
by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.
Badminton gets a lift: When the 61st National Badminton Championship
was shifted last year to the newly constructed Jayatilleke Sports
Complex at Nawalapitiya, it was a sweet sort of lift for the shuttle
game.
|
Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage pioneered |
Many eybrows were raised as this sport was not popular in that little
plantation town. The lights are put off around 7 p.m. and people go to
sleep.
There was no facilities to play this sport except outdoor just for
the fun of it.
But most people may not know that this sport was introduced to this
country not far from that area at a town known as Dimbula which is
located adjoining Nawalapitiya Plantation District... Dimbula is better
known as Radella where the famous Dimbula Athletic and Cricket Club that
was founded in 1856 is located right now.
It was in 1909 the expatriate planters based in the Dimbula
Plantation District introduced the shuttle game. Perhaps to get away
with the foredon or to play the game indoors because the area is famous
for its rainy weather condition for better part of the year. Those
planters had their weekly club deep and the sports became increasingly
popular. Dimbula with a certain amount of pride can claim as the first
badminton club in Ceylon as Sri Lanka was then known. The neighbouring
Dickoya-Maskeliya Cricket Club was founded in 1869, also took to sport
as the tea planters were often transferred from their places of work in
the Dimbulla District to Dickoya District and Vice-Versa.
Regular tournaments in badminton were conducted as often the wet
weather conduction turned out to be a bonus to popularise this sport.
Both clubs had their own badminton court. Dickoya's badminton court has
stood the test of time is still there are good conditions wit the wooden
floor and the club has a stage.
But unfortunately, Dimbula's original badminton court where this
sport took root, is no longer in existence as it was razed to ground in
the mid sixties following an electrical short circuit after a rugby
match.
But it did not take much time for the badminton court to raise its
head again and it was reconstructed with the help of philanthropists
from the area with the late Chandra Hemachandra - a leading road hauler
leading the way with generous contributions. Then there was the acreage
tax from the Estates which also helped to swell the funds.
It is recorded that Dimbula conducted two tournaments annually from
1911 to 1926. The First Mixed Doubled event was introduced in 1923. the
tournament 1950 saw the participation of 50 shuttlers. It was in the
year 1950 that the Badminton Association of Ceylon was formed and the
first Badminton Nationals was conducted in 1952 and that tournament has
been held without a break since then.
A name that crops up is N.M. de Silva who pioneered the formation of
this National Badminton body to play this sport in an organised manner
and was also founder-President. N.M. de Silva did a lot to uplift the
sport.
Great push vs Dandeniya
The construction of the Jayatilleke sports complex by the Minister of
Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage saw the birth of this stadium.
The president President of the SLBA Suraj Dandeniya is making great
efforts to give a new dimension to this sport by playing the National
Championship out of Colombo and also rewarding the winners with cash
awards.
|
