Sports in Nawalapitiya to regain its former glory

Hafiz Marikar

Nawalapitiya - is all out to give a filip for football and rugby thanks to the efforts of Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage who inspired the Up-Country Lions Sports Club to win the Dialog Inter Club Sevens which was held in Colombo recently. In addition the Nawalapitiya football team has also got a break to play in the FFSL premier league competition. Football is the most popular sport in Nawalapitiya. The Sports Minister has given his support and recently he redid the Jayatialke Stadium into a modern sports complex. Nawalapitiya, is all out to give a filip for football and rugby. Nawalapitiya has a big football folowing. But of late it has shown interest in rugby too. They took to rugby only last year and this year they were able to start the rugby season by winning the inter club sevens.

Sports Minister Mahindanada Aluthgamage

Sports Minster gave a new look to the Jayatialke Stadium, which was built in 1950. It now looks a modern sports complex. This includes a main sporting stadium with a 400 meter track, with eight lanes, with an additional 200

meter warm up track, with a well equipped gymnasium and the ground. There is also a top class swimming pool with eight lanes. In addition to all this there is also an indoor stadium which can accommodate twenty five sporting events.

In addition it has a hostel and a restaurant, medical center and the Stadium consist of twenty thousand seats. Thanks to the Sporting Minister, Nawalapitiya has now been labeled as a beautiful sporting city.To develop and promote sports at any level, the necessary infrastructure is most important.

A big hand should also go to Nawalapitiya UC Chairman Nishantha Ranasinghe for his support. Apart from affording facilities for physical,recreation it is also offers a "home-away-from-home.

Nawalapitiya first entered the sporting field with football now they have taken up rugger, and with the support coming from the Minister, Club Officials and sponsors they are sure to do well, especially in football and also the newly introduced rugby.

Rugby - Last year as new comers Nawalapitiya Lions S.C. gave of their best in the League, buit in the Clifford Cup knockouts they thrown out. It was great of them to come up to that level.

The first Chairman of rugby was Kandy's Siva Subramanian and this time he has steeped down and another Kandy product Chanuka Ratwatte is the Chairman of rugby and also should not forget the services rendered by their rugby Coach Imthi Marikar who learnt his rugby in Kandy and the hard workingformer Isipathanian Hassan Sinhawansa, who is the manager with temendous experience He started at CH & FC and also for short stint was with the champion Kandy Sports Club now he is full time with Nawalapitiya Lions SC. It was former ruggerite and rugby benefactor Kishin Butani who took rugby to the top at the CH and FC who showed Singhawansa the way.

Football is the most popular sport in Nawalapitiya. They have produced some top payers in the past and taken part in most of the tournaments conducted by the controlling body and they too run their domestic tournaments.

Nawalpitiya has a fair supply of football clubs. Old Anurudihians, Young Marians FC, Upcountry Lions SC, Axes SC, Black Pool SC and Green Line SC,Up Country Lions SC are now in the major football competition of the country and has played two games. First against Anuradhapura's Solid SC which ended in one all draw. The second game was against Kalutara Park SC. That game too ended in a 2-all draw. The next game is against Renown SC on the 19thm at Nawalapitiya.

Nawalapitiya Football League are very concerned with their work. Their Secretary Jagath Kumara de Silva gives a big hand for the game. In the 1960's, 70's Nawalapitya had some top players.

Most of them are no more, ut to name some they are S.A Jabar, S. Sudakaran, Mohamed Thambi Appa, M.Nilafdeen, M. Mahroof, S.Gamini, M. Gafoor, M.Saleem, A. Alfred, C. Marshal, Donald Ambrose, BanduSena, S.Amarasinghe, A.Ganam. F.Darmasena was a top goal Keeper , and at that time the top clubswere Greenland Sports Club, Harrison's Sports Club, Black Pool Sports Club, who dominatedthe game in Nawalapitiya

Football League has played a leading role amongst the Leagues, providing young men opportunities to develop the game.In the good old days, Kandy, Nawalapitiya, Hatton, Gampola all were together, and has a close relationship, and produced top footballers. But it is not so today.