TRR Rajan Memorial T20 cricket

Hafiz Marikar

Cricket, the king of Sri Lanka sport will get off when one of the most looked forward to annual sporting event in the Hill capital, the T.R.Rajan memorial T20 cricket tournament organized by the Rotary Club of Kandy will take place today at the Asgiriya International Stadium, in this tournament cricket of high order could be witnessed. Once again the sponsors will be Sun and Asoka group of Companies. The registration of teams will take place at 8am and the first bowl

will be bowled at 9 a.m. according to the organizers thirty teams each for Rotary and Rotaract will be seen in action

The tournament will be played under the distinguished patronage of District Governor Darshan John and also the wife of late T.R.R. Rajan, Jeewa who follows her husband’s footstep by giving a big hand for sports, together with her three daughters Gawri, Ahalya and Ashwini will grace the occasion as guest of honour.

Winning teams of Rotary and Rotract and the two runner-up teams will be presented with the T.R.R.Rajan memorial trophy. In addition there will be awards for the best team, bowler, batsmen, fielder, best dressed team and the man of the tournament of both Rotary and Roatract.

This tournament is played in memory of one of the greatest Rotarians and sports promoter T.R.R.Rajan. He was the 51st president of the Rotary club of Kandy and the man who did a yeoman service for the Rotary Club of Kandy and the Rotary family. TRR as he was known by every one, was a versatile sportsman, sports benefactor, philanthropist and above a gentleman of the highest caliber. Many are the instances in his illustrious career and public life where he displayed his integrity and honesty which was a shining example of a clean life spent in the service of his fellow men. At present his brother Suri and daughter Gowri are continuing the good work. Gowri was elected as the first lady president of the Rotary Club of Kandy and now she has climbed up the ladder and will be the first lady Governor of Rotary District 3220, Sri Lanka in the year 2014/15 which position her uncle B.D.R. Suri Rajan held few years back. Although TRR is no more his memory will remain forever in the minds of all those who knew his sterling qualities.

T.R.R. Rajan had his education at Trinity College, where he excelled in sports, his favorite sport was athletics and later did the same in India when he was there for higher studies. It was T.R.R. who sponsored the Kandy Sports Club first through his company Sun match makers of “Soorya” that is the year Kandy Sports Club for the first time won the Clifford cup, which came into action in 1950, that is after 42 years. Late he gave a big hand top Old Trintians Sports Club when they took up the game of rugby for the first time. This popular T20 tournament will bring the cream of cricket talent in the Rotary and Rotaract membership of the country, and if the weather keeps fine the batsmen will look forward to make some runs while the bowlers will attempt to curb them. This tournament is strictly for members of the two clubs, no outsiders can take part.

The first edition of this tournament was held in 2003/2004 where the Combined Rotarians picked from Rangiri/Dambulla, Mt. Lavania and Kandy Metro emerged as the first winners, while the second place went to Rotary club of Kandy. Then in 2004/05 Rotary club of Badulla pocketed the championship and the second place went to Rotary club of Combined Colombo and Colombo East. In 2005/6 Anuradhapura emerged as champions and Badulla were the runners-up. Panduwasnuwara and Negombo clubs were champion and runners-up in 2006/7. Wariyapola and Badulla pocketed the first and second place in 2007/8. Then in 2008/9 it was Rotary club of Dickoya and Athugalpura who were placed one and two, 2009 and 2010 Paduwasnuwart won the first place and Kurunagela the second.

The inaugural Rotaract winner in 2003/04 was Gampola and Katugastota was second. In 2004/05 Gampola and Katugastota won the first and second place for the second year. In 2005/06, Katugastota for the first time won the championship after being number two in the two previous years and the second place went to Pamunugama. Last year champions and runners-up Katugastota and Pamunugama were joint champions in the year 2006/07. Then in 2007/08Colombo mid town and Batticaloa were joint champions. In 2008/09, Colombo Mid Town was champions and Colombo North runners-up, in 2009/10 Colombo Millennium and Mid City emerged as joint champions. The winners of the, 2010/11 are - Rotary Champions Wariyapola, Runner up Kalutara, in the last tournament Badulla won the Rotary championship with Kuliyapitiya taking the second place.

In the last year’s tournament the best dressed team award went to Rotary club of Badulla and the Rotaract award was won by Kandy Club, Then the Best batsmen award (Rotary) Nalin Karunatilake (Kulyapitiya), Rotaract Valuya Kumaran (Jaffna). Best bowlers award was won by Chamila Prasad of (Kuliyapitiya) and the Rotaract Award went to Dushan Cha (Jaffna Mid town, Best fielders award Rotary Leslie de Silva (Badulla), Rotaract Suresh (Kandy) The Man of the tournament Rotary Ajith Bandara (Badulla) Rotaract Valuya Kumaran (Jaffna).

The tournament organizing committee is headed by K. Wignewaaran, adivisors are Suri Rjana ,Gowri Rajan, Ayesha Wijeyeratne the rest in the committee are John Baskern, Grish Atmartam, Sabry Abuthair, Vinoth Kumar, Vatjhies Balasubtramanium,

Dharshan Ekanayke, Parakrama Tenakoon, Mely Dharmasena and Michael Siriwardene. The matches will be umpired by the Central Province Umpires Association members. So, to the T20 off and may the better team of the two tournaments win. Don’t forget the age old say in cricket, catches win matches. So, the day will end with the get-together at Earls Regency.