Sports
Cherished sporting milestones of Air Force
70 Years of Sri Lanka Air Force Sports
During the 70 years of existence, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has produced some outstanding sportsmen and women who have brought immense glory to the country. The notable feature of most of these great men and women is that they have rendered their service not only in the field of sports but also in their own profession in the SLAF. The following achievements of these sports personnel have been written in gold in the annals of the SLAF.
First National Record by an Airman
Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Nagalingam Balasubramanium became the first airman to create a National Record, when he cleared a distance of 48 and 1/2 feet (14.64) at the triple jump event at the Quadrangle Athletics Meet on 28 November 1959.
Asian Games Representation
LAC Lakshman de Alwis became the first sportsman from Air Force to represent the country at the Asian Games, when he represented Ceylon at the 4th Asian Games held in Jakarta in 1962 in 200m and 400m events. De Alwis was the Ceylonese champion in 200m and 400m in early 1960s and established the national record for 400m (49.8) on 19 July 1964.
“Jets” relay team equals the National Record in 4 x 200m relay
Air Force relay team popularly known as the Jets Team equaled the National Record in 4 x 200m relay event on 7 September 1963 with a timing of 1:30.2 seconds. Earlier the Ace Athletic Club had established the national record. LAC Lakshman De Alwis, LAC RAC Hubert, LACG George and LAC Cristy Fernando represented the relay team.
LAC Maurice Coomerawel completes a hat-trick of wins at the prestigious Tour de Lanka Cycle Race
Coomarawel who represented the country at the Rome Olympics in 1960 had the distinction of winning the prestigious Tour de Lanka on four occasions. He initially won the race in 1960. Then he went on to complete a hat-trick of victories, by winning the Tour de Lanka in 1965, 1966 and 1967.
LAC GAS Gunasinghe represents the country in Boxing at the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica in 1966
Champion boxer LAC GAS Gunasinghe became the only Ceylonese Boxer to participate at the 8th Commonwealth Games in Jamaica in 1966. He represented the country at the International contest against India and Pakistan in 1963 and won a silver medal in the meet against Pakistan. He won a silver medal at Singapore Sports Festival held in August 1965 as well.
SLAF Soccer Team win the prestigious FA Cup in 1975 and 1986
The SLAF Soccer team was a leading soccer team in the country in 1970s and 1980s and won many major championships on offer. They won the FA Cup in 1975 and 1986 whilst producing champion players in the caliber of Mahinda Aluwihare, Sumith Walpola, Mahinda Palitha and Sampath Perera. In 1975, SLAF won the FA Cup under LAC Edmand Silva and Corporal SC Kapukotuwa led the team to victory in 1986.
Sergeant Wijaya Nimal Perera wins a bronze at the 8th Asian Games
Sergeant Wijaya Nimal Perera was an outstanding boxer produced by the SLAF. He won a bronze medal in Fly Weight Category at the 8th Asian Games in Thailand in 1978. He is the first SLAF athlete to have won a medal at the Asian Games. In 1974, Perera was selected as the Best Boxer at National Boxing Championship, Defence Service Boxing Meet, Clifford Cup, Layton Cup and Albert Perera Memorial Cup.
Squadron Leader Susil Fernando became the first Test Cricketer to be produced by the SLAF
SqnLdr Susil Fernando became the first Test cricketer to be produced by the SLAF, when he made his Test debut on 4 March 1983 against New Zealand as the 17th Test player of the country. He represented the country in five Tests. SqnLdr Fernando made his ODI debut in 1983 and played in seven ODIs from 1983 to 1984. The highlight of his career was the representation of the country at the Cricket World Cup in 1983 held in England.
SLAF Rugby Team wins the prestigious Clifford Cup in 1986
The finest moment of SLAF Rugby was the winning of Clifford Cup in 1986 under Corporal Lakshman Caldera beating a star-studded Police SC 10 -8. In the Quarter Finals, SLAF beat Navy SC 44 -10 and beat CH & FC 8-4 in the semifinal. A try in the extra time by Flying Officer Harsha Fernando helped Air Force SC beat CH & FC after the scores stood at 4-all at full time. Air Force SC confronted the mighty Policemen in the final on 16 August 1986 and scored a sensational 10-8 win to clinch club rugby’s richest prize – the Clifford Cup. Second row forward 5193 Corporal Lofty Perera (jnr) scored the solitary try for the Airmen, while 4450 Corporal Tony Wimalasuriya fired across two penalties.
Group Captain TB Marmbe represents Sri Lanka at three Rugby Asiads and captains the national Team at a match in Rugby Asiad in 1988
Group Captain Tikiri Marambe was one of the best Rugby players to represent SLAF. A Trinity Lion, he represented the national rugby team from 1982 to 1988 and captained the team against Korea at the Rugby Asiad in 1988. GpCapt Marambe, who represented Sri Lanka at three Rugby Asiad’s during the period is considered as one of the best scrum halfs produced by the country.
Group Captain Nalin de Silva excels for National 7s Rugby Team that wins the “Bowl” Trophy at the Hong Kong 7s in 1984
Known as the Iron man in Rugby circles, GpCapt de Silva represented the National Rugby team from 1982 to 1987 and was the Vice-Captain at the 8th Asian Rugby Asiad held in Singapore in 1982. He represented the National team at the Rugby Asiad held in Japan in 1984 and toured to Wales in 1984. GpCapt de Silva was a key member of National Sevens Team that won the “Bowl” Trophy at the Hong Kong 7s in 1984.
Corporal Nimali Liyanarchchi wins silver in 800m at the CISM World Military Games in China in 2019
The former national champion in the 800m and 1500m, Nimali Liyanarchchi brought immense glory to Sri Lanka and SLAF through her record breaking performances. During the 7th edition of the World Military Games, that was held in Wuhan, China in October 2019, Cpl Nimali Liyanarchchi won the silver medal in women’s 800m thus became the first silver medalist produced by Sri Lanka Defence Services at the World Military Games.
Air Cdre Padman de Costa
Former Secretary Air Force Sports Council and Defence Services Sports Board
[Cricbuzz]
Geopolitics have given cricketing neighbours, particularly in South Asia, a bad name in recent times. But not in Africa.
The continent’s two Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe, are enjoying successful T20 World Cups and will finally cross paths in Delhi on Sunday, which is expected to be a celebration of their journeys so far.
South Africa are already through to the semi-finals and more than likely to top their group. Though Zimbabwe are out of the running, they have achieved their best T20 World Cup finish and will avoid going through the qualifiers for the next edition. Neither have any worries – certainly not the kind that will take place in another part of the country, Kolkata, where India take on West Indies with qualification for the semi-finals still unresolved – and the mood is jovial.
There have been coffee and drinks dates, not least because Zimbabwe’s coach Justin Sammons used to be South Africa’s batting coach and there would have been some reminiscences about Zimbabwe’s role in helping South Africa prepare for the World Test Championship. Last June, Zimbabwe extended their time in England to play a tour match against the South Africans in Arundel. The most exciting thing to happen then was Kagiso Rabada breaking Ben Curran’s hand, but Curran is back on the circuit and there’s no bad blood.
Then South Africa, fresh off their Test mace win, had no time for a trophy tour at home because they had a series scheduled in Zimbabwe, which included Tests for the first time in 11 years. Hosting the champions, who happen to be the guys next door, was a treat in a bumper year for Zimbabwe and it barely mattered that Craig Ervine’s side was humbled. Wiaan Mulder retiring on 367* to avoid overtaking Brian Lara’s Test record was as much about his respect for a great of the game as it was for the game itself: South Africa had enough runs and there was no need to rub the neighbours’ noses in it.
South Africa went on to beat Zimbabwe in both fixtures in a T20I series but lost the final to New Zealand. Castle Corner, Zimbabwe’s life-of-the-party supporters, was cheering for South Africa, which tells you all you need to know about the feelings between these two sides.
The current relationship is cuddlier than ever, especially as they are two of the three co-hosts of the 2027 ODI World Cup (Namibia is the third) and there is no tension in the contest. Apart from Zimbabwe’s win over South Africa in the 1999 ODI World Cup – a result which had massive ramifications as it played its part in South Africa missing out on the final – South Africa’s path has run completely differently to Zimbabwe’s. For years, they didn’t play each other and as South Africa’s domestic game has creaked under its own financial pressures, Zimbabwe are no longer as involved as they were in the 1990s.
The recent thaw in relations comes as the Africa Cricket Association tries to resurrect itself – or just get going – and there are whispers of continental T20 tournaments. But only whispers. There’s also the rumour of an ODI tri-series in August, when South Africa and Namibia could travel to Zimbabwe to inaugurate the new stadium at Victoria Falls. South Africa did the same when they took a team to Windhoek to open the Namibia Cricket Ground, and were stunned by a plucky Namibia team that brat them. Considering the run South Africa are on now, maybe that was just another case of the guys next door being the firestarters.
But for all the goodwill, there are still some hostilities between South Africa and Zimbabwe, particularly at a social level. As a nation, South Africa struggles with a brand of xenophobia that is trained on migrants from elsewhere on the continent – it’s so acute it has been dubbed Afrophobia. As Zimbabweans make up the largest expat population in South Africa and run much of the country’s service industry by working in hospitality and homes, they often find themselves as targets of violent attacks. It’s a stain on a South Africa that owes Zimbabwe a great debt for the role it played in the anti-Apartheid struggle and the fight for freedom.
South Africa may argue it pays that in other ways and does its bit where it can for Zimbabwe. One example is in football. Because none of Zimbabwe’s football stadiums are FIFA sanctioned, they play their home games in South Africa, on world-class pitches. And that was also handy when South Africa and Zimbabwe were drawn in the same qualification group for this year’s football World Cup. South Africa beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in their first meeting and then needed to win the return match to secure qualification. In what was a Zimbabwe “home” fixture in Durban, Zimbabwe’s Warriors proved pesky and held South Africa to a goalless draw. Ultimately, it only delayed South Africa’s progression to the main tournament by three days so no major damage was done, so to speak.
Zimbabwe won’t be at the tournament, which will feature nine African sides (and possibly a tenth after playoffs are decided) but will be at next year’s rugby World Cup for the first time in 36 years. They are also now guaranteed a spot at the 2028 T20 World Cup, which creates the opportunity for two other African sides to qualify and removes some of the pressure that has sat on Zimbabwe for the last eight years. They have ridden all the emotions of nearly and not quite getting to the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups and 2024 T20 World Cup and suffered the financial consequences of missing out, sometimes tragically.
The late Heath Streak and his entire coaching staff was sacked after Zimbabwe missed out on qualification in 2019 and Streak was later banned for breaching the anti-corruption code. While serving his time, he was diagnosed with cancer and died in September 2023. How he would have loved to see the turnaround of a team he gave everything for, to know of the redemption of Brendan Taylor, who also fell foul of the ACSU, and see the rise of a new crop of Zimbabwe fast bowlers.
Streak’s story and particularly his death affected me deeply, mostly because he was always a presence in my coverage of Zimbabwe cricket, which ESPNcricinfo readers will know is quite personal. So do allow me a moment here:
I was first sent to Zimbabwe in 2011, to cover their Test comeback after six-and-a-half years out of the longest format, and fell in love with everything there. I was welcomed with open arms into a cricket community that felt familiar, almost like the clubs I used to keep score for as a teenager, but was also a fully-fledged international set-up. Reporting on their progress and setbacks was complicated and interesting. I went back more times than I need to count and Zimbabwe became a second home and a safe haven.
Between 2013 and 2016, Cricket South Africa cut two reporters off from what they called “special privileges”, which included basic things like receiving press releases or any game-related information. I was one of them. I was still fairly young in my career and was already fighting against the status quo as a woman in a male-dominated field and the extra challenge threatened to become too much. I considered walking away many times but one of the only things that kept me in it was the relationship I built with Zimbabwe and the stories I got to tell from there. I never got to thank them but I hope I can now.
For bringing joy, and reminding me – and everyone – of our resilience as people, thank you Zimbabwe.
At the same time, it has never been a better time to be a sports reporter in South Africa. The recent and regular excellence of all our sporting codes (have I mentioned yet that South Africa are four-time rugby world champions?) has been thrilling. I have seen sport unite our country across gender, race and class lines in a way I had never imagined possible. For showing that we are truly stronger together, thank you South Africa. This time for Africa.
[Firdose Monda for Cricinfo]
The ICC has said it is monitoring the “evolving situation” in the Middle East and has “activated comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard the travel, logistics and well-being of all stakeholders” at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
On Saturday morning, the US and Israel exchanged missile strikes with Iran, leading to the closure of airspace over several countries in the Middle East, disrupting air travel to the region and also internationally, with several airlines having to cancel flights or change routes.
“While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel – including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff – rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel to their home countries upon concluding their commitments at the event,” the ICC said in a statement.
“The ICC Travel and Logistics team is actively working with major international carriers to identify and secure alternative routing options, including connections through European, South Asian and South-East Asian hubs. The ICC security consultants are liaising with relevant authorities and will provide real-time advisories as the situation develops. A dedicated ICC Travel Support Desk has also been activated.”
The 2026 T20 World Cup is approaching its final stages, with the last Super Eight games on Sunday followed by the semi-finals on March 4 and 5, and the final on March 8.
(Cricinfo)
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