Double int'l sports icon Themiyapala passes away

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen -Kandy Sports Correspondent

Death occurred in Kandy on Tuesday of former double international sporting icon P. Themiyapala who represented the country at soccer and hockey and also excelled in athletics. His body is lying at Nelum Mawatha, Primrose Gardens off George R. De Silva Mawatha, Kandy and cremation will take place on December 27 (Thursday) at 5 p.m at the General Cemetery Mahaiyawa Kandy.

Late Themiyapala's pet sport was soccer which he represented with distinction Madhyamalanka Sports Club which he helped to win many titles and also played for the Postal Department, Government Services as a centre forward and All Ceylon team against many visiting sides, in the fifties when soccer in Sri Lanka was at its peak.

He also turned out for Kandy and All Ceylon at hockey after the game was given a big break by sporting personalities like late M.S. Jainudeen and P. Thangavelu.

In athletics he excelled at district and provincial level and also for the Postal Department.

His indulgence in sports kept him fit and he was epitome of fitness and he was 85 at the time of his death but one cannot guess his age as he went about doing his duties on his own without any assistance and he was even driving. In fact it was during the course of his duties that he had a fall which turned out to be fatal.

He is the father of the present Senior Vice President and General Secretary of the Central Province Cricket Association and live- wire of cricket in the Central Province Janaka Pathirana and grandfather of Sri Lanka Youth Cricket captain Sachith Pathirana who is currently the skipper of Chilaw Marians and a cricketing icon from Trinity College.

Themiyapala's death takes away from the hill capital the first double international in a team sport.