The Best among equals

Angu RAJENDRAN

'Oh my God... he is awesome.' 'Gosh, how can he dunk so easily?' 'That Lyceum captain is just too good.'

Three-pointers, dunk shots, or hook shots - he scores them with ease. 'But I think my favourite shot is the three-pointer because you get the biggest cheer from your team-mates for a three pointer,' says Rumesh Senanayake, - the Most Valuable Player(MVP) of the International Schools Under 19 Boys Basketball Championships for 2007, 2008, 2009 and basketball captain of Lyceum International School, Nugegoda.

Wearing his lucky number 7 on his basketball jersey, Rumesh or 'Rumma' as his team-mates call him practices many fancy styles of shooting that he learns by watching NBA (National Basketball Association, USA) matches on TV. He says that he dedicated the whole of last year - 2008, to just practise shooting three pointers and dunk shots. Also, by watching old matches of All-Time Greats like Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Russell, he has learnt the hook shot which is the most difficult shot to attempt and also to defend.

During school practices which is every week day morning from 5.30 am to 7 am, his team enjoys trying out new and fancy shots and his coach encourages this, as it only builds team spirit and helps them enjoy the game. The coach's philosophy is - if you enjoy your game then you will play well. At all times he tells the boys that 'Basketball is only a game to be enjoyed and not a battle to be won.' That the team enjoys the game was evident, from the smiles and laughter during the recent finals versus Colombo International School.

'Sometimes I think I love practices much more than matches', says Rumesh very seriously. And why is that? 'During practices, basketball becomes almost like a subject that we need to study and research for exams. We analyze, we plan, we discuss, and we try out and photograph and we're back again. Most of all, the coach is always ready to try out anyone's ideas. Coach will listen to ideas and strategies even from the most inexperienced or youngest player. Everyone in our team is treated as an equal.

Rumesh talks about his coach with near reverence. 'Coach Roshan Gunasekara changed our lives', says Rumesh. 'From just another good team when we were Under 15 (when his school team won the first Invitation tournament), he has made us into an outstanding team. Of course he raises his voice during matches when we make mistakes but never in anger and never to hurt us.'

The other coach, who showed Rumesh that the sky is the limit as a basketball player, is the National team coach - Coach Randima of St. Joseph's College, Maradana.

When Rumesh was selected to the national team in 2007, he says that he was a good player but came out of the coaching camp as a much more confident player.

Rumesh started playing basketball when he was in the third grade because he wanted to emulate his older brother Manjula who had started playing the year before. Rumesh was also a swimmer but did not swim for the school team. 'Swimming is a bit boring. Basketball is very satisfying because you play with friends and you feel good when you shoot a basket even during practices,' he says with his shy smile and boyish charm.

Rumesh is quite a hero in the school as he is cheered by the juniors even when he just steps into the play ground.

For all that, Rumesh is extremely modest and unassuming. He genuinely wonders why he is being singled out. 'Every player on my team is as good as me,' he says. 'My school team can win matches without me I am sure but I only help them win faster', says Rumesh, in all sincerity. What an attitude for what a player.

Do you play any other games? 'Netball', he says, with amusement on his face. 'In fact we won the International Schools Boys Netball Championship last year. It is a funny game, quite different from basketball,' he adds, laughing.

An A level Commerce student, Rumesh is in the middle of school exams. 'So far I have only been an average student but now our coach has told us to concentrate on the A level exams and to come for practices only once a week. I am really going to work hard to improve my grades,' he says. He looks forward to the once a week practice sessions when he and his classmates help train the junior players to take their places on the team. Along with Rumesh, six of his team mates graduate in 2010.

Rumesh plans on going to University in the US whereby he might play for College and then who knows, maybe the NBA.

Rumesh Senanayake, loved by his team-mates, adored by his juniors, very much respected in the school, has miles to go before he sleeps.'