Hockey for P. T. Rajan Cup

Hafiz Marikar

Kandy's "PT Rajan" Hockey Tournament was not played for nearly 25 years. Now the family of late Rajan, has decided to play a match between a Kandy Invitation XI and Matale, and they are hoping to make it an annual event. Today club hockey seems dead in Kandy. Nearly ten months have passed for this year and not a single club tournament, has been conducted. Kandy District Hockey Association President R. Maheswaran has been in the scene for quite a number of years and until last year he had a good and able committee, and hockey progresswed. This time too he is the President, but it seems he has not got an efficient committee.

Hockey in Kandy dates back to 1907, when the Indian Rajput Regiments occupied the Kandy Military Barracks, currently known as Police Barracks and were wanting to play hockey, almost every evening.

During that time St. Anthony's College was housed at the present St. Sylvester's College premises and they used the barracks square for all their sports. The boys of that era were drawn to the game and tried their hand at knocking the ball about with a borrowed stick or two.

At that time, there was no clubs or tournaments, the Indians who were on military duty played hockey among themselves. After there departure there was no hockey.

Later in the 1930's, it was P.T. Rajan who introduced the game of hockey in Kandy by promoting the game to the schools sector and clubs. After the revival and formation of the Kandy District Hockey Association once again initiated by P.T. Rajan, he had the invaluable support and encouragement from V.D. Paul Raj, Late M.S. Jainudeen, and J.O. Mendis to promote the game with only a handful of clubs taking interest.

Foreign teams

As years went by, hockey flourished in Kandy with several schools in and around Kandy taking to hockey. During the World War, large number of clubs and schools including foreign teams played in Kandy. The late P.T. Rajan was a fine sportsman during his days in India. A versatile sportsman, sports benefactor, philanthropist, educationist and above all a gentleman of the highest calibre. He is the founder of Asoka Vidyalaya and Asoka Students Hostel, Kandy. Considering his great services for sports and education, the Wewalpitiya play grounds has been named as the" P.T. Rajan Playgrounds". This ground was used mostly by the students of Asoka Vidyalaya and the late P.T. Rajan who was instrumental in keeping the grounds' in perfect condition for all sports activities.

In 1950 when hockey was flourishing in Kandy, P.T. Rajan presented a challenge cup to the Kandy District Hockey Association., to be given to the winners of the Inter Club League Tournament.

It was P.T. Rajan who gave a push to the game of hockey, the late P.T. Rajan's name will always be remembered by those who played in the late 1930's to 1950's. He did not believe in holding positions, but always acted with a motive to accomplish a task to perfection.

Despite being a educationist, he had been a caring god father for the game of hockey, especially those involved in carrying out their duties to increase the interest after the post-war economic growth. After P.T. Rajan's demise, his eldest son late T.R.R.Rajan made hockey popular in Kandy.

Glancing through some old records, I was able to find some facts. The first "Bully Off" in Kandy was way back in the 1907 on the Bogambara Grounds. The match between two clubs, Kandy Sports Club and the Industrial School Team. It is said that in 1944, Kandy District Hockey Associaiton, had one of the finest league tournaments, in which 14 teams had taken part.

They were St. Anthony's (Hotspurs), Trinity (Rabits), Kingswood, Police, the CLI, Kandy Rovers, The Sampans (Army), The Blue Jays (Army), All Anglo Indian XI, Parklands (Army) Indian Legionaries (Army), South East Asia Command team (Lord Mountbattans staff).

I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention the services rendered by people such as M.S.Jainudeem, P.Thangavelu, Robinson, S.P.F.C. Scharenguivel, Leslie Handunge, H.W. Bobby Jayaweera, Philip Bulttjens, Dr. A.S. Samad Ismail one time President of KDHA, R.B Wijekoon, L.Permual, H. Wijekoon, Parine Silva, D.R. Rajaligam, Roy de Silva who was a long standing President of Kandy District Hockey Association, Sri Lanka Hockey and NOC, Rohan Wijanayake, Rtd. DIG Lakshman Senevirthne, I.M. Anver, Malcolm Perera M.H.Maikar, Tissa Jayasinghe, Aroos Salimdeen, R.Maheswaran, A.H.M. Nazeem ASP, A.V.A. Parhitane, Kelum Shanthasiri, some of the names which come to mind.