Veteran athletic couple seek help to build sports museum

Rupika K. Bandara -Dinanmina Kuruwita Group Corr.

Winning medals continuously for four generations in the international athletics is no easy task, says 74-year-old R.A. Chandradasa Ranatunga. Emulating the husband his 64-year-old wife, K.G.G. Menike also an internationally famous personality who completes 52 years of sporting career in athletics.

The husband and wife sports duo live in Kuruwita at the Delgamuwa National Housing Complex. They have converted their home into a sports museum, naming it "Javana" with full of valuable sports souvenirs they have received from around the world. Chandradasa a native of Ratnapura has obtained his primary education from Ratnapura St. Aloysius school and entered competitive sports at the age of 13. He received his secondary education from Baptist mixed school (now Ferguson Girls High School) and Ratnapura Buddhist School (presently known as Dharmapala Vidyalaya). Chandrdasa's first sporting victory came in 1952, winning 440 yards event. He found employment at the Postal Department in 1963 and continued sports activities. He tide the nuptial knot with K.G.G. Manike Gamlath of Delgamuwa, who is also a very keen athlete.

Their matrimonial ceremony has been a unique one where they took the vows after dressed in sports inform and exchanging two sports cups. It is indeed a special way of entering matrimony breaking all customary conventions and deserving a place in sporting world record books.

Chandradasa won his first medal, a bronze in 1972 winning the 800 metres event representing Sabaragamuwa Province. Since then he went on to win back to back medals in the local athletic scene.

Year 1990 has been special for this sporting couple. Chandradasa won his first international gold medal this year at the Asian Veterans' Athletic Championship in Kuala Lumppur, Malaysia. Coincidently Menike joined the fray by winning two silvers and two bronze in relay events at the same meet.

Chandradasa achieved another unique feat in 1965 Ceylon Track and Field Championhip by becoming the only athlete to win three events (1500m, 5000m and 10,000m) on the same day. In the same year he completed 114 miles road run from Maha Saman Devale, Ratnapura to Kataragama Devala in 20 hours. Chandradasa's family won the ' Healthy Family' award for five consecutive years from 1995 to 1999 at the annual National Health Run.

"My son and wife too part along with me in the race. I am a father of three children. My eldest daughter is a physical training instructor at Seevali Vidyalaya and my son is attached to the Prisons department. They are too very keen in sports," Chandradasa said.

From 1990 the Chandradasa couple has won gold, silver and bronze medals in international meets in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea etc. "We won three golds at the selections of the 17th Asian Athletic Championship. But we could not find the finances to take part at the Asian meet and still feel sorry for it. J.M. Punchi Banda of Kegalle is the only living athlete among my contemporaries. But he is no more active in sports. But we, are still participating in competitions," they explained.

Menike joining the conversation said; I became the champion athlete when I was in grades 6,7, and 8 at the Kuruwita Maha Vidyalaya. At that time there were no facilities like today. I was able to forge ahead in sports amidst various drawbacks.

Because of my enthusiasm in sports, I was able to get married to a sportsman. After marriage, I was away from sports only for three years because of entering motherhood.

"I restarted my sports career in 1972 and being continued up to now. In all, I have actively participated in 21 sports festivals. I have been victorious in 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m, road races, walking competitions in many parts of the world. I have been to Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand to participate in sports festivals," Menike said.

"In 2004 Bangkok Asian Championship, I became the only Sri Lankan to bring home three gold medials. I won gold medals in all participated six events at the 2006 Asian Sports Festival held in India and I was described as the "Golden Lady" of Sri Lanka in the Hindu Newspaper of India. Now my husband and I are practicing for 2013 Sri Lankan Masters Competition," she explained.

"Our only dream is to build up this sports museum at a proper venue with much more space and facilities. Any one can see that our home is very small and congested with all these valuable memorabilias. May be this is the world's only this kind of sports museum, but not many Sri Lankans are aware of it. We have been requesting authorities from a long time for grant us adjoining four-perch bare land to build the sports museum, but still did not receive a positive answer. If some one support us we can make our dream a reality and the valuables will be protected for future generations.

Please support us in this endeavour for there is no such sports museum in the whole Asia," Chandradasa couple said.