Sportsmen have brought honour and fame to Royal

Ranjan ANANDAPPA

Royal College, stamped it's name in the top echelons of schoolboy feats annexing the champion school of the year award 2009 which was both monumental and extraordinary .

Thirty six Royalists won colours at the recently concluded 'Milo' All Island sports Colours award ceremony which speaks volumes and gives added credence for the 175 year old school history. The winning trio from Royal College, Bhanuka Rajapakse (Observer\Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer Of the year 2009), Kithruwan Vithanage and Shavendra Edirisuriya, Most Popular Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketers of the Year) and runer up is no doubt a unique feat with a Royalist winning a major competition after 24 years, since Ranjan Madugalle (1979) and Roshan Jurangpathy (1986) being the previous recipients. Considering the year 2009 which also coincides with the 175th anniversary , Royal has reached remarkable heights let it be academic or sports.

The Royal College principal Upali Gunasekera speaking at a press briefing said that his intention was not to 'boast' about the school's achievements but sincerely hope that the other schools too will follow suit.

"All schools, not only Royal need encouragement. As far as Royal is concerned there have been lot of negative thoughts published in the media generally , but in the sporting arena the thoughts have always been mostly positive, which is a satisfying factor." said the Royal principal.

" Royal was selected as one of the best 30 schools in the world in the Microsoft Best Innovative School competition conducted recently and won the second place of the Home Garden Competition, and being a Colombo 7 school, Royal,conveyed a clear message for what they are capable of."

"There are about 8000 students at Royal,but very few indulge themselves in extra curricular activities, as some parents discourage their children from anything else than studies. Books alone will not make you a complete man.

We must encourage the sportsmen who are at it, and try to bring the ones who are out of it into the field to be physically and mentally prepared for the challenges ahead."

The Head Prefect of Royal Yahan Samarajeewa dedicated all success for the unity between administration,advisory committee,coaches and the players which held all together.

" Royal College has a wide range of sports activities. There are 25 sports played at Royal, and the school has always been in the forefront almost in every sport.

In the recent past Royal has shown tremendous improvement in sports and the number of national representation has increased yearly.

The resources which has been allocated for each sport has been utilised judiciously by all teachers in charge and coaches which has been the key for success." said Samarajeewa.

" The highest number of awards were presented to the ruggerites, which no other school had carried away eight awards for the sport at this years ceremony. Naren Dhason, Nikira Senanayake,Kalana Amarasinghe, Hasthika Bandaranayake, Ashen Dassanayake,Hamza Hassen,Shabir Mohammed,and Chamara Dabare represented the country at the Junior Rugby Asiad held in Hong Kong where Sri Lanka was ranked 3rd."