Three stalwarts of Kandy SC honoured

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports corr.

HONOURED: Three stalwarts of the Kandy Sports Club have been made Honorary Life Members for their dedicated services over the years for the club. They are Leslie de Zoysa, Ford Merril Gunatillaka and Iswan Omar.

Iswan Omar, a Trinity College Rugby Lion captained the club in the sixties and also played for the national team as a flanker and also played for the Upcountry whilst planting in the upcountry. He was also one time Honorary Secretary of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union and Secretary of the Central Province Rugby Football Union.

He currently holds the post of President of the Central Province Rugby Football Union. But he is best remembered for organising the Singer SriLankan International Rugby Sevens which has been recognised as a World Cup Rugby Sevens qualifier for the Asian region. He continues to hold the post of Chairman - Organising Committee and General Manager of Kandy Sports Club.

Ford Gunatillake has been a member of Kandy Sports Club for over fifty years serving in many capacities from the days of the Europeans. Has been the encyclopedia of the club and has a rich collection of details of the club from its early days.

He was one of those instrumental in transforming the one time garbage dump yard at Nittawela into a rugby grounds in the mid fifties. He has also served as the Manager of the Kandy Sports Club during its difficult days in the sixties and seventies when the hat was passed around for the survival of the club.

Leslie de Zoysa counting over 30 years as a member has been its Treasurer and Secretary and also has been the manager of the team. He has served the club in many other capacities mostly during its difficult days prior to 1992.

A dedicated worker and a live wire of the club. He has also functioned as the Treasurer of the Central Province Rugby Football Union.