OBSC Golden Jubilee soccer tourneys a success

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

The soccer tournaments conducted by the Old Bens Sports Club to celebrate their Golden Jubilee will conclude with the club and schools final at the SBC ground today.

The teams in the club final are Ratnam from Kotahena and New Youngs SC from Wennapuwa. Isipatana who upset the high riding St. Benedict’s College, will front up to Hameedia Hal Hussiene who turned tables on Zahira College.

To the credit of the high powered committee of the OBSC led by Delly Fernando it must be said that they conducted a tournament to the entire satisfaction of all.

All matches were played to schedule, with the teams supporting the committee and what was witnessed was a tournament well conducted, which came in for praise from all quarters.

Special mention must be made of President of the Old Bens Sports Club, Delly Fernando who was a glutton for work. He energised his committee who worked round the clock, meeting every evening at the club to see that the tournaments were worked off without a hitch.

Fernando was a sportsman in college playing cricket and hockey and was also a scout. He had the good fortune of being at the helm of the OBSC in its Golden Jubilee year and he and his committee have arranged for more sports tournaments to be held as the months roll on in celebration of the Jubilee. Fernando is a businessman by profession.

Bro. Granville Perera, the Director of the College was the guiding light behind the scene and was always at hand to proffer advice and his expertise in the game, because he is the President of the Schools Football Association for the past 20 years.

The schools and the club tournaments produced top class football and every game was packed with excitement and keenly contested.

It was a pity that the two schools dominating the scene, Zahira College and St. Benedict’s College had to bow out of the tournament.

Hameedia Hussiene who are making great strides in the game and Isipatana a little known school for football did well to enter the final. Isipatana whose speciality has been rugby has now taken to soccer like a duck to water.

They are coached by a Cooray Park instructor Nanayakkara who has done a wonderful job with the players under him and are determined to carry away the trophy in the final beating the more fancied Hameedia Al Hussiene.

The man behind their success has been the hard working Hassan Singhawansa. Singhawansa was concentrating on the school’s rugby.

He was now taken soccer too under his wing and the coming years should steer the school to greater honours by forming a formidable team.

We wish the schools and club finalists all the best and may the better teams triumph.

The crowds too flocking to take in the action have been at their best behaviour and the OBSC says a big thank you to them and the participating teams.