Sports

Dep’s heroics at pole vault

Published

5 years ago

2021/08/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

A.C. Dep’s pole vault national record stood for more than two decades.

Barrier Breakers

Throughout the course of human history man has been striving to break barriers which most people could not surmount eg: the four-minute mile and the sub ten second hundred metres. In Sri Lanka one such person who was to overcome several barriers, literally as well as metaphorically in the pole vault event was none other than Arthur Cletus Dep.

A.C. Dep was born on the 5th March 1917. His father was a teacher at St. Joseph’s College Colombo. Dep studied at St. Joseph’s during Rev. Fr. Le Goc’s era. While at St. Joseph’s he was over awed when G.S. Sivapragasam soared over the bar in the pole vault event at the school’s Inter House Meet. At school Dep came under the watchful eyes of Marcus Perera the college athletics master, who guided and nurtured him throughout his school career to rise to great heights. On a subsequent occasion when M.M. Thowfeek, the Ceylon Observer Sports Editor had asked Dep what fascinated him about the pole vault. He had replied that Marcus Perera’s going over the bar in the pole vault fascinated him.

His first attempt in the field of athletics was at the dual meet between the Wattala Bolton Wanderers (Mabole section) and the Scarlet Runners (Averiwatta section). He represented St. Joseph’s at the Ceylon Public Schools Championship in 1933 in which year he came second to his schoolmate Malcolm Spittle. Two years later he not only broke the Public Schools record but also broke the 10-foot barrier in the pole vault and raised it to 10 ft 2 inch. He beat the Public Schools record holder R. Peiris to third place. Malcolm Spittle also beat R. Peiris and came second. At the National Championships in 1936 he represented the University College and cleared the 11foot barrier the first to clear this height-the second barrier. The Ceylon record at that time was 10ft 10ins by L. A. Leembruggen who at this meet finished equal to L.D. Smith of the University. W.W.Thambimutthu came second.

In 1937 National Championships Dep was beaten into second place by Leembruggen. Both cleared 10ft 6 3/4ins but Leembruggen was placed first with fewer failures. But ten days later he cleared the 12foot barrier clearing 12 ft ½ an ins–the third barrier to add yet another Ceylon record to his credit. The next year representing the University, he won the National title again clearing 11ft 9 1/4ins beating R. Peiris and L.A. Leembruggen to second and third paces respectively. At the Quadrangular meet he won the event with a jump of 12ft. In1939 at the University Dep cleared 12ft71/2inc a new Ceylon record. In1940 he broke the third barrier by vaulting 12 ft 35/8 ins. at the National Championships. Dep improved the Pole Vault record to 12ft7 ½ ins in1937. It stood for 23 long years.

At the Trials for the Asian games in 1962, Dep was officiating in another event. No sooner he heard over the public address system that Vijitha Wijeyesekara had broken his record, unlike modern day athletes, the real sportsman he was, came to the pole-vaulting area and congratulated Vijitha. I was lucky to witness this event. Dep could have objected because when he was jumping there were no takeoff boxes nor saw dust pits or landing mattresses. Dep represented Ceylon at International Meets on three occasions. In 1938 he represented Ceylon at the Empire Games held in Sydney. He was unplaced and cleared only11ft6 ½ ins.

While on the way back home from Sydney Dep cleared 12ft 4ins at a Perth Meet. That was the best height cleared by a Ceylonese away from Ceylon. In 1940 when the First Indo Ceylon Dual Contest was held in Colombo. Dep won the pole vault event. V. Stanely de Livera won the sprint double, H.A. Perera won the high jump while Duncan White won the 400m and the 400m hurdles. The Second Indo-Ceylon contest was held in 1946 in Bangalore, India. Dep captained the Ceylon team. Dep won his pole vault event, while H.M.P. Perera won the 400m and Duncan White won the 400m hurdles. On both occasions the Ceylon teams won the two relays 4x100m and the 4x400m. He participated at the National Championships from 1936 till 1953, 17 long years except during 1941 due to an attack of typhoid, 1947 Election duty and in 1950 being in England. In 1953 he twisted his ankle and bade goodbye to competitive athletics. Arthur Dep entered the University College and obtained a B.A degree from the University of London. When he decided to join the Ceylon Police he entered to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police and rose to the position of Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police. His interest in History and Social Anthropology was shown in becoming a member of the Sri Lanka branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. His well researched monograph earned him recognition from the Egyptian Government and he was invited to be present at the Orabi Pasha Commemoration. In his historical research the monumental work in compiling the History of the Ceylon Police standout as of permanent value. He continued his interest in athletics officiating at major athletic events and was a Vice President of the Ceylon AAA. He was its representative at the Sri Lanka National Olympic Committee. Despite his busy schedule he never failed to come to officiate at the university meets.

Once when Thowfeek, the Observer Sports Editor asked what his cherished memory was, he showed a paper cutting of 1936 in which Sir Sydney Abrahams the Chief Justice of Ceylon at that time had said: “I would award pride of place to Dep’s record breaking pole jumps. The mechanics of this particular event are so difficult that it took long years in England before a native pole jumper cleared 11ft and Dep’s effort of 6 ins more would, I think I am safe in saying, have gained him a Blue at either Oxford or Cambridge any year since 1924.

Dep married Teckla Saparamadu. They have 5 children all doing well in life. Antoinette the eldest daughter entered the University of Ceylon Medical Faculty and qualified as specialist anesthetist. Marie was a Deputy Director of the Export Development Board. Priyasath was the highly respected Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. Srimath entered the University of Peradeniya and graduated as an Engineer, and currently resides in Australia. He held the Junior Under17 High Jump record. Linus entered the University of Colombo and read for a degree in Physics. He gained a First Class and obtained a scholarship to follow a Higher Degree in USA and he is engaged in Nuclear Physics research. Cletus Dep retired as a High Court Judge. The children excelled in sport. Antoinette represented the University of Colombo in netball while Marie represented in hockey and netball. Priyasath played cricket and rugger for the University of Colombo. Srimath played cricket for the Peradeniya University and represented in athletics. Cletus represented Royal College at athletics.

Dep was a highly respected officer not only by his colleagues but also by his subordinates and the public.

K.L.F. Wijedasa

(The writer is a former national record holder in the men’s 100m)

All News Advertisement

Latest News

Zalmi favourites in final but Kingsmen arrive with odds-defying juju

Published

17 hours ago

2026/05/3

Priyan

Peshawar Zalmi trumped Hyderabad Kingsmen in a close thriller earlier in the season [Cricinfo]

The Pakistan Super League will have a popular winner this season. It is either Peshawar Zalmi and their adored leader Babar Azam triumphing at what is his home ground, or Hyderabad Kingsmen, a flawed side that has caught fire at the right moments to defy odds to stay alive until the very end.

In Zalmi, there is a team that, with its relentless consistency all tournament, cricketing logic dictates should be the favourites. But in Kingsmen, there is a team Pakistanis can relate to so deeply, one that starts poorly, fixates on impossible scenarios, takes advantage of net run rates, and pulls victories out of dead-and-buried scenarios with what feels like unstoppable momentum on its side. This is the team for whom Pakistani logic will promise that the favourites tag is just another mere obstacle to bulldoze past.

Zalmi have the ingredients a league-winning side needs to possess. The top two run-scorers in the league, as well as the top wicket-taker, all wear yellow. Babar and Kusal Mendis’ phenomenal consistency frees up Mohammad Haris at the top for a free hit in the powerplay, and sets up enough of a platform to take the pressure off the rest.

Sufiyan Muqim, well clear of everybody else on the wickets chart, can derail any batting line-up in his current form, while Iftikhar Ahmed has proved a surprise success with the ball this year. In Ali Raza, Zalmi have perhaps the most valuable emerging player, and certainly the quickest. Oh, and Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana is back for the final after being given dispensation by the BCB.

But Kingsmen, how do you analyse this side? They have Hunain Shah, the scripter of so many of their great moments. That inswinging yorker against Rawalpindiz that secured qualification, those five more in the final over against Islamabad United to seal one of the great PSL wins. They have Usman Khan, no torque and all muscle, like a Bentley stripped for parts and repurposed as a crude battering ram, a cricketing specimen that just isn’t meant to be successful, and has somehow found its ecological niche over the past fortnight.

They have Marnus Labuschagne, a captain who had never put on a T20 armband before, yet lost himself in the magic of Friday night, charging across the field before emotion overcame him. Someone who has, over the past month, come to understand what cricket in Pakistan is all about, and thrown himself into it with the zeal of a convert.

Momentum and destiny, all appears to lie with the Kingsmen. They have now won seven of their last eight, and found multiple matchwinners in that time. They may not have the completeness of Zalmi, but they will perhaps sense that adversity hasn’t touched their opposition in the way it has tested them. If they can turn this into a game of nerves, Kingsmen have the experience to come through in a way Zalmi might not.

Most importantly, though, a PSL season largely lost to empty stadiums offered a reminder on Friday of how much match-going crowds add to the value of a contest. Most of this season may not have been a classic, but with spectators now watching on, the league is quickly making up for lost time.

Babar Azam is the leading run-scorer of the tournament, one run away from becoming the leading run-scorer in any PSL season. Having endured the roughest patch of his career, something appears to have finally clicked for his T20 game. Across this season, he has become a complete T20 batter rather than the staid accumulator he was for much of his career. Mendis’ form may have helped, but Babar’s form has only grown. In front of an adoring crowd that will, in large part, have come to see him, the Zalmi captain has the chance to secure a legacy-building win that may yet give his international career a second wind.

He may not be in the touch Kingsmen wish, but few would barrack against Glenn Maxwell in the biggest games. So far, Maxwell has played little more than a bit-part role, primarily with the ball, where he has offered genuine value. However, when Kingsmen battled to stay alive in their final group game, he offered a well-timed reminder of how high his ceiling remains in a 37-ball onslaught that fetched 70, and gave his side the cushion to get the huge net run rate win they needed. Pakistani cricket loves a wildcard, and in Maxwell, Kingsmen have the ultimate ace they can play on Sunday.

Rana has arrived in Pakistan and will take his place in the starting XI. That could squeeze Khurram Shahzad out. No other changes are expected.

Peshawar Zalmi (probable) Mohammad Haris (wk), Babar Azam (capt), Kusal Mendis, Michael Bracewell, Abdul Samad, Aaron Hardie, Iftikhar Ahmed, Farhan Yousaf, Nahid Rana, Sufyan Moqim, Mohammad Basit

Kingsmen will go in with an unchanged side.

Hyderabad Kingsmen (probable): Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Kusal Perera, Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Thomian Wijemanne’s stocks keep rising in tennis

Published

23 hours ago

2026/05/3

Thilina Walpola

Andrew Kaavinda Wijemanne

In tennis circles, Andrew Kaavinda Wijemanne is becoming a bit of an household name exceeding expectations doing his schools S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia proud.

This week, young Wijemanne won the Kurunegala Club Weekend Ranking Tournament under-18 singles and then partnered with Nevan Kannangara of St. Joseph’s to win the men’s doubles event. He also reached the finals of the Wayamba Championship in the under-18 category before going down to his doubles partner Nevan Kannangara.

The duo also have reached the doubles final in the Negombo Open scheduled for Sunday.

Sports

On Eran’s watch, cricket seeks redemption

Published

23 hours ago

2026/05/3

Thilina Walpola

Eran Wickramaratne assumed office as new cricket chief this week

Sri Lanka’s new Interim Committee, helmed by Eran Wickramaratne, has walked out to bat amid a swell of cautious optimism, with cricket lovers hoping the ship can finally be steadied after years of choppy waters. Yet even before the ink has dried, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive, peddling the tired line that failure to hold elections within three months will invite an ICC suspension. That, to put it mildly, is a cock and bull story.

Interim Committees are not alien to Sri Lankan cricket, nor are they frowned upon by the International Cricket Council. In fact, many of the earlier ones, led by men of standing, came in, rolled up their sleeves and put the house in order.

The rot, as many would argue, set in during the era of Mahinda Rajapaksa, when such Interim Committees were used less as repair kits and more as patronage platforms. Mahinda used the cricket board to give positions to his friends. He was always loyal to his friends. In turn, his friends showed their loyalty back to Mahinda by awarding the lucrative television deal of SLC to his second son’s company.

This current Interim Committee, however, reads like a team sheet you wouldn’t mind backing. When you have a former Marylebone Cricket Club President in Kumar Sangakkara, a seasoned ICC match referee in Roshan Mahanama and a respected elder statesman in Sidath Wettimuny, you’re hardly short on cricketing brains trust. Add to that the corporate acumen of Prakash Schaffter and the legal nous of Dinal Phillips, and it’s an all-round side with depth in every department. As Tony Greig once said during a game in Sharjah, ‘Don’t tell anything nasty about Sri Lankan cricket to Dinal Phillips.’

They hardly need advice from the cheap seats, but anyway, here’s our two cents.

First, selection; the engine room of any successful side. Get that wrong and you’re forever chasing the game. Whether it’s Sangakkara, Wettimuny or Mahanama taking the reins, or someone cut from similar cloth, the message is simple: pick a selector who knows his onions. A bull in a China shop is less troublesome than the man heading selections at the moment.

Then there’s the elephant in the pavilion – Test cricket. Between July 2025 and June 2026, Sri Lanka hasn’t got a single Test match. Not one. For a nation that once fought tooth and nail for Test status under the stewardship of Gamini Dissanayake, this is sacrilege. The great man must be turning in his grave.

While the Executive Committee has packed its bags, the top executives still loiter at Maitland Place like a night watchman that refuses to vacate after a collapse. Expect the usual stock responses – Test cricket isn’t profitable, or the calendar is dictated by the World Test Championship. But such thinking is as outdated as playing timeless Tests. Institutions don’t move forward by blocking on the back foot forever. Fresh ideas are needed and perhaps a few long-standing occupants need to walk before they’re shown the pavilion.

Schedule more Test matches, even against sides that are not part of the World Test Championship. Don’t believe in the lies your top executives dish out. Tell them, if there’s a will, there’s a way.

Women’s cricket is another area crying out for attention. While other nations have moved the field up and attacked, Sri Lanka has been content to play defensively. At present, cricket hasn’t been able to appeal to the girls in schools. The chosen sports by girls at school level are netball, basketball, swimming, badminton and athletics. Cricket, sadly doesn’t come among the top ten sports of girls schools be it at Holy Family Convent in Colombo or Marjan Muslim Ladies College in Sammanthurai.

The remedy isn’t rocket science. Invest in schools, provide equipment, open doors. Set a target; say 500 schools playing the game within three years and chase it with intent. Provincial academies could serve as nurseries, turning raw talent into finished products. Cricket, after all, is an expensive sport; without support, many promising players are run out before they reach the crease.

Other sports have shown the way. Basketball, for instance, cast its net wide post-war, tapping into regions like Jaffna and reaping the rewards. Cricket, meanwhile, has been guilty of too much talk about infrastructure and not enough about grassroots. Forget the grandstands for a moment, it’s the nets that matter. Take the game to the people, coach the coaches and give emerging regions a crack at competitive cricket.

The Lanka Premier League, too, has promised much but delivered in fits and starts. Like a flashy opener who flatters to deceive, it has struggled for consistency. Questionable ownerships and off-field controversies haven’t helped. Perhaps it’s time for Sri Lanka Cricket to play the long game – trim profits, bring in credible local investors and build a tournament that can stand the test of time rather than chasing quick bucks.

Then there’s a small but telling symbol of excess – the Minister’s Box at major cricket venues. For years, it has served as a cosy enclosure for the high and mighty. Why not flip the script? Open it up for the disabled, give them a chance to watch the game in comfort. Cricket, after all, belongs to the people, not just those in high office. (Credit to the current Minister of Sports for not using the facility).

The ball now is on Eran’s court.

by Rex Clementine