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Sunday, 19 May 2013

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Pity! St. Anthony's has forgotten about hockey

A survey of Antonian Hockey - this was one of the early sporting events of St. Anthony's College, but sad to say now they have forgotten the game of hockey, even the Kandy's hockey controlling body are not keen in giving a flip up. Three of their early sport were Cricket, Football and Hockey. They now only concentrate on Cricket and the sport they took up in 1950's Rugby.

Way back in 1907, during the tenure of office of Principal Fr. Philip Caspersz, they were housed at the present St. Sylvester's College premises, the Rajput Regiments that occupied the Kandy Military Barracks, now occupied by the Police and is called Policed Barracks, wanted to play hockey almost every evening.

The students of that era felt drawn to the game themselves, and off and on, tried their hand at knocking the ball about with a borrowed stick or two. Soon a few fearless youngsters found some place vacant, whenever the military lads did not turn up for their games.

Hockey popular

Gradually, more boys found he glamour of the game irresistible, and in a matter of a few months threw on the gauntlet themselves and were soon at grips with the Indians.

Many a war for supremacy was fought those days on the Barrack Square but the Indians never yielded they were too superior. But, if there was one heirloom they left in Kandy, it was bequeathed to St. Anthony's and that was the intense love for their own game of hockey. Hence it was that the school was perhaps the first to play the game in this Island as far back as 1907.

Turning over the past annals of the Antonians, I came across, a story mention being made by a ten-year-old prodigy, Charlie Hamilton of the Lower School. He has played as centre Half for the Antonians in 1909. This youngster was one of those who had learnt the game the hard way when in the company of those Indians. That year, the Anotnians travelled down to Colombo to play the Colombo Municipal Council XI and Bloomfield CC XI, the game against the Municipal Council had been a draw with each other scoring a goal each. And the game against the Bloomfield CC went in favour of the Kandy School by three goals to nil. The hero of the two games was tiny Charles Hamilton. He had been a stylish and fearless player.

Even the Indians had admired Charlie's hockey, where he had a good knowledge of the game.

It is no exaggeration to say that the glory and fair name won by the Antonians at that time in hockey was, in great measure due to this little master. The anti - climax to all this was to be felt by the whole school barely three weeks after the teams return from Colombo.

Charlie took ill suddenly and died on the 5th of November 1909. Thereafter Antonians hockey, started on a very dismal note, but with, the noble example set by this lad had been inspirational encouragement that was astonishing, as the school forged steadily ahead in her attempt to attain supremacy over fancied teams.

Antonians farewell

Antonians in 1910, out of the eight matches played, won four and lost three and drew one. That time there was no school hockey, but they played against the Servicemen and hand full of clubs wee playing.

It is strange that after 1911 hockey gradually sank into a state of inactivity. An inquiry to how this would have helped the writer to learn that, since too great a keenness and prominence were being paid to hockey with the consequent neglect of cricket.

The school at that time reduced the number of matches and turned the attention of the boys to cricket, which by that time, had to be given a better place. Hockey, as a result at St. Anthony's, was relegated to a secondary place in the sphere of sport, just like what happened to Football. Besides, the troops had vacated the Military Barracks by that time and interest in the game dropped a great deal.

The game 'died

Then from 1916 to 1933, Hockey was as good as dead. It was in 1935 the game was revived, and the Antonians became famous in the game.

It was pretty surprising to see the game of Hockey improving, thanks to that sportsman P.T. Rajan, with whose help the game was re-introduced in Kandy, and was given a new lease of life. After the formation of the Kandy District Hockey Association, the Antonians played under the name of HOTSPURS and had some top players like Robert Wright, George Macky in 1937, the Antonian team smashed its way to victory over the others in Kandy. Teams like the star studded Kandy Sports Club, Millers HC, Police HC, Rovers ASC, Indian Students XI. Besides the teams named above, mention must also be made of Dennis Roberts, Peter Roberts, Nugent Nugawela, Q. Jayatillake, Douglas Wijesinghe, Douglas Perera - all these players were fast in the game, with fast moving players gentle dribbles and straight hits into goal.

Game picked up

Then 1938 saw the Antonian Hotspurs being Kandy District Hockey Association champions, after this extraordinary success hockey at St. Anthony's was kept alive for a few years. Then from 1943 onwards the standard of hockey dropped, that was mainly due to cricket and hockey being played at the same time and most of boys took to cricket. Antonians should be proud of their Hockey, and should once again re-introduce the game so that Kandy District Hockey Association, who are finding it difficult to 'stand', should give them a push.

It is gratifying to note that several schools today in Kandy have taken to hockey and are making good progress, specially the Girls Schools, but the school which played first, St. Anthonys has no hockey now.

 

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