Sports
Remembering the country’s first Olympic medallist Duncan White
Duncan White preparing the starting blocks.
BARRIER BREAKERS
During this Olympic year it is pertinent to remember one of country’s greatest athletes Major Duncan White on his 23rd death anniversary (July 3). On his way to success, he had to glide over 10 barriers and not break them!
Duncan White was born on the 1st of March 1918 at Lathpandura a rural village 2km from Baduraliya in the Kalutara District
His early education was at Trinity College Kandy. He was the captain of athletics in 1936 when Trinity College won the John Tarbat Challenge cup and the Jefferson cup for the Relays. White won the 220yds establishing a new record, 120yds Hurdles and the Long Jump. He was a member of the Trinity Rugger team which won the Bradby trophy. He was awarded the Trinity Lion for Athletics
On leaving Trinity College, he joined the Medical Department as a Physical Training Instructor and represented the Department at the Government Services Meet. In 1937 he participated in the National Championships representing Ace Athletic Club he returned a time of 52.0 secs in September and further improved it to 50.4secs the same year. Running in the 440 yds Hurdles event he clocked 56.4 secs. In 1940 he returned a time of 56.0 secs in the 440yds Hurdle event at the National Championships. It took 20 long years to improve the record till Nimal Fernando of the CT & FC returned a time of 55.7 secs. In 1944 running for the Ceylon Army Duncan clocked 22.2 secs for the 200m, which was equalled by W. Wimaladasa of the Army in 1964. D.K Podimahathmaya had the privilege of erasing Duncan’s record of 22.2 by .1 of a second after 24 years.
In 1938 he represented Ceylon at the British Empire Games held in Sydney in 1938. He was the only schoolboy in the team. He represented Ceylon at the first Indo-Ceylon dual meet held in Colombo in 1940 and at the second Indo-Ceylon Meet held in Bangalore. At the first Indo-Ceylon Meet he won gold medals in the 400m and 400m Hurdles events and helped win the two relays. In Bangalore he won a gold medal in the 400m hurdles and won a silver in the 110m hurdles.
After breaking records in the National arena he turned to the wider International arena. He was a member of the first Ceylon team to an Olympic Games. That was the 1948 London Olympic Games. There was a special significance for Ceylon as it was in the year 1948 that we gained Independence from the British Empire. Duncan White won the silver medal beaten by Roy Cochran of USA by only 7/10th of a second. While Cochran established an Olympic Games Record, Duncan White too bettered the previous record.
On the strength of his performance at the Olympic Games he was awarded a Government Scholarship to follow a course in Physical Education at the prestigious Loughborough College of Physical Education. At Loughborough, he Captained the College for three consecutive years. During his period the College won the British University Athletics Championships.
At the 1950 British Empire Games held in Auckland, New Zealand Duncan White won the gold medal in the 440yds hurdles event with a new British Empire Games Record which was only 3/5th of a second outside the World record.
On completing his studies at Loughborough College he returned to Ceylon in 1951, took up the post of a lecturer at the Training College Maharagama. In 1960 he took up the post of Athletic coach for the schools of the Department of Education with the approval of the then Minister of Education E.A. Nugawela.
He did yeoman’s service to the young athletes of the schools, especially the Central Schools. R.A.C. Hubert of Piliyandala Madya Maha Vidyalaya was one such athlete who did well in the 400m. I am personally aware that he had gone to Gamini Vidyalaya Benthota on three occasions. He also had helped Harris Manikkam at the Christian College Kotte athletic camps. There he had screened his final run in the 400m Hurdles at the 1948 London Olympics. C.W. Pitigala as a sharp student at that time had asked Duncan why he had looked back while fixing the blocks. He had commented on his observant nature and answered. “when I was nailing my starting blocks someone had shouted “Hey Ceylon you are late” So he had turn back and said “shut up” and nailed his blocks. While nailing the blocks he injured his finger. He ignored the injury and concentrated on the event. And the rest was history. It is a good lesson for our young athletes not to get ruffled for the slightest thing at the start of an event.
In 1964, he left for Nigeria to take up the post of Senior Lecturer in Athletics at the University of Ibadu. Later he settled down in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
Duncan White was awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1949 and the Helms World Trophy as the Most Outstanding Athlete in Asia.
Duncan White married Angela Siebel and they had six children Nita, Marilene, Fiona, Daniel, Maxine and Christopher.
His teammates to the British Empire Games held in Auckland New Zealand said that when Duncan White ran the last lap for Sri Lanka in the 4x400m Relay the whole stadium stood up and cheered him because it was a fantastic run. He had overtaken several runners and came fourth. Several officials had asked him why he had not entered for the 400m event.
Late Cyril Gardiner, the then chairman of the prestigious Galle Face Hotel, as a mark of respect to Duncan White adorned his name on a plaque at the entrance to the Galle Face Hotel as a distinguished guest of the Hotel. It was at this Hotel that I had the privilege of meeting the great man on his last visit to Sri Lanka.
In 1991 Major-General Denzil Kobbekaduwa had organized a Peace Relay Run from Vavuniya to Colombo to celebrate the founding of the Duncan White Foundation. When the runners who came to Kurunegala were given T shirts with the Duncan White Logo embossed. One runner while putting on the T shirt had asked another “kawdayako Duncan kiyanne.”
In 1996 the late Luxman Kadirigamar initiated and obtained dual citizenship for Duncan White.
Duncan White was conferred the honour of ‘Deshamanya’ by President Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Silver Medal feat at the London Olympic Games.
K.L.F. Wijedasa
(The writer is a former national record holder of the men’s 100 metres)
Vaibhav Suryavanshi slammed a blistering 95 ball 171 in the Under 19 Asia Cup opener against UAE on Friday. He fell just six short of Ambati Rayudu’s long-standing India record in youth one-dayers – the 177 against England in Taunton back in 2002.
Suryavanshi, yet to turn 15, hit nine fours and 14 sixes during his innings, before being bowled attempting a paddle in the 33rd over of India’s innings. They eventually finished with 433 for 6 after being put in to bat.
Last month, Suryavanshi had smashed a 42-ball 144 – the joint third fastest century by an Indian in men’s T20s – against UAE at the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha. He had got to his century off 32 deliveries that day, in the process recording the joint-sixth-fastest century in all men’s T20s.
Suryavanshi – a certainty to feature in next month’s Under19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe – also recently slammed an unbeaten 61 ball 108 at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to become the youngest century-maker in the tournament’s history.
He had a breakthrough year in 2025, when he became the youngest to slam an IPL century, for Rajasthan Royals [101 off 38 balls] against Gujarat Titans. Having made history just a few months earlier – by becoming the youngest pick in an IPL auction at 13 – Suryavanshi featured in seven games in the 2025 edition, all as an opener. He made 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.55.
After IPL 2025, he was part of the India Under-19 squads that toured England and Australia. He smashed a 78 ball century in the first four-day fixture in Brisbane, and finished as the second-highest run-getter of the multi-day series against Australia Under-19s, scoring 133 runs in three innings as India won 2-0.
Prior to that, he had amassed 335runs at a strike rate of 174.01 in the one-dayers against England Under-19s.
[Cricinfo]
If India defied losing the toss and getting the worst of the conditions, theoretically, in Cuttack, South Africa did the same in New Chandigarh to come roaring back into the T20I series, which is now locked 1-1 with three matches to go.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav noted at the toss that the outfield was already dewy when the players were going through their pre-match warm-ups. It was a no-brainer to chase. But Quinton de Kock put India under pressure with a 46-ball 90 studded with seven sixes, and Donovan Fererrira finished brilliantly with an unbeaten 16-ball 30, taking South Africa to an imposing total of 213 for 4.
Imposing, but not dew-proof; certainly not given how India’s bowlers had struggled with the conditions and bowled 15 wides — including seven in one Arshdeep Singh over — and 13 full-tosses.
But the dew never got a chance to test South Africa, as their new-ball bowlers made the best possible use of early movement to take three wickets in the first four overs. These included the Test-match-style dismissals of both India openers.
It was all steeply uphill from 32 for 3, and India never really challenged the visitors, with Tilak Varma’s 34-ball 62 standing out for its fluency and enterprise on a difficult night for his team. South Africa bowled India out with five balls still remaining, with Ottneill Baartman hastening their end with three wickets in the 19th over.
This pitch wasn’t a complete featherbed, with the ball occasionally stopping on the batters and making them mistime shots. Two members of South Africa’s top three, Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram, scored 37 off 36 balls between them.
The other member, however, was in an entirely different mood, taking full toll of anything remotely too short, too full, or especially too straight. De Kock kept clearing the ropes whenever he had half a chance, particularly with his pulls and pick-up shots square and behind square on the leg side.
This put India’s bowlers under tremendous pressure. They couldn’t attack de Kock’s stumps, because that ran the risk of being whisked over the leg side, and they couldn’t afford to give him width either. This pressure led India to attempt yorkers and wide yorkers frequently, and the pressure combined with the dew to produce errors in the form of wides and full-tosses.
Arshdeep suffered the most from this, sending down seven wides in the 11th over — all to de Kock – and nine in all.
Jitesh Sharma’s alert run-out of de Kock — who wandered out of his crease instinctively after bottom-edging the ball towards the keeper — in the 16th over, followed by Axar Patel’s dismissal of Dewald Brevis in the 17th threatened to stall South Africa at a critical stage of their innings. But Ferreira and David Miller made sure they cleared 200 by a good margin, putting on an unbroken 53 off 23 balls for the fifth wicket.
The highlight of the partnership was an 18-run final over during which Ferreira hit Jasprit Bumrah for two sixes: a full-toss drilled straight, and a good short ball that followed the batter’s premeditated movement pulled authoritatively over the leg side.
In all, Bumrah conceded four sixes, the most he has gone for in a T20I.
Given all the dew around, it was imperative that South Africa made the new ball count. They did that emphatically. Ngidi set things in motion with a first-over jaffa to Shubman Gill, squaring him up in defence with one that straightened from a good length and having him caught at slip. Jansen followed up in the next over with the mirror-image dismissal of Abhishek Sharma; angling in, straightening, squaring up the batter and catching the outside edge.
Abhishek’s wicket was particularly crucial, since he’d already hit two sixes, in just eight balls.
Suryakumar followed the openers to the dressing room in the fourth over, sending a thin edge to the keeper — confirmed after South Africa reviewed the not-out decision — while looking to steer Jansen behind point.
India never threatened to make a match of it, particularly with Axar Patel — promoted to No. 3 — and Hardik Pandya struggling for fluency, scoring 41 off 44 balls between them.
But there was one bright spot for the home team in the form of Tilak, who looked in excellent rhythm right from the time he walked in, and combined that with his awareness of the field to find the boundary frequently even while his partners got stuck. Against Ferreira’s 110kph offspin rockets, for example, he made room to use the pace and steer him behind point, off the stumps. Then, against George Linde’s left-arm spin, he collapsed his back knee smartly to reverse-sweep over backward point for six. A slog-swept six off an Ngidi slower ball took him to a 27-ball half-century in the 14th over.
Jitesh, who came in at No. 7, also made good use of the V behind the wicket, scoring 27 off 17, but the result was already certain by the time he walked in, with India needing 96 off 34 balls at that point.
Brief scores:
South Africa 213 for 4 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 90, Aiden Markram 29, Dewald Brevis 14, Donovan Ferreira 30*, David Millerr 20*; Varun Chakrawarthy 2-29, Axar Patel 1-27 ) beat India 162 in 19.1 overs (Abhishek Sharma 17, Axar Patel 21, Tilak Varma 62, Hardik Pandya 20, Jitesh Sharma 27; Ottneil Baartman 4-24, Marco Jansen 2-25, Lungi Ngidi 2-26, Sipamla 2-46) by 51 runs
[Cricinfo]
Jacob Duffy, who had to wait until his 31st birthday for a Test debut earlier this year, claimed his second five-wicket haul of the series as West Indies folded tamely on the third day in Wellington. Bowled out for just 128, West Indies left New Zealand a target of 56, which was knocked off before tea for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with one game to go. It was New Zealand’s first win of the 2025-27 World Test Championships [WTC] cycle. West Indies, meanwhile, have now lost six of their seven outings in this cycle and remain winless.
The collapse began with Brandon King’s run-out for 22 in the morning session. After a careful start with overnight partner Kaveem Hodge (35), King set off for a risky single in the morning’s eighth over. Sent back and left stranded, he was gone once substitute Michael Bracewell’s sharp throw was relayed on to the stumps by debutant wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay.
Shai Hope fell in the same over after closing the bat face in an attempt to work Michael Rae to the leg side, offering a simple return catch. Roston Chase, averaging under 16 as Test captain, then nicked a rising delivery from Duffy through to the keeper.
Hodge and first-Test hero Justin Greaves (25) attempted to stabilising things, with Hodge unfurling crisp strokes through the covers and square leg. But in the 31st over, one of those well-struck pulls picked out substitute fielder Will Young, who held a superb rebound catch at midwicket.
At 88 for 6, with the lead still below 20, the match was effectively gone, and Duffy accelerated the finish. He trapped Greaves lbw with a full delivery that jagged in, a decision first turned down but later overturned on review. In his next over, Duffy drew Tevin Imlach into a loose drive away from his body for an edge to second slip. Rae added his third by removing Jayden Seales caught behind, before Duffy completed his five-for by going short to No. 11 Ojay Shields, who miscued a leg-side swipe to fine leg.
Duffy walked off to applause with the innings ball raised, and openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway dashed away to pad up with an hour left before tea and a small target in front.
The pair added 26 in seven overs before Latham got a leading edge off Anderson Phillip to third slip. Conway held fort, attacking with six fours in his unbeaten 22-ball 28. Kane Williamson, with 16 off 12 balls, wrapped up the match with back-to-back boundaries in the tenth over.
Earlier in the Test, Blair Tickner’s first-innings four-for and Rae’s three wickets dismissed West Indies for 205. New Zealand replied with a disappointing 278 for 9 declared, with Tickner unable to bat after picking up a shoulder injury. But half-centuries from Conway (61) and Hay (60) ensured a meaningful lead, which, combined with West Indies’ limp second-innings effort, set up a comfortable win.
After the game, New Zealand captain Latham said they got “better and better” as the game progressed. “We took a little bit to get into the game, morning of day one, potentially some heavy legs. But we adjusted things and we bowled better and better in the second innings. And obviously Duffy on the back of that [five-wicket haul] and some of our substitutes coming on and getting on the board was pleasing.
“Mitch Hay played beautifully in the first innings coming under pressure. The way he played was pretty much the way he plays for Canterbury and that’s what we asked of him. And Michael Rae picked up some really important wickets on day one, trucked into the wind all week. All those efforts do not go unnoticed. We probably weren’t where we wanted to be with the bat but we can look into that over the rest of this week.”
Chase said West Indies’ batters didn’t make the most of the conditions on offer: “Batting is a bit of a concern, after coming from the first Test, that beautiful second innings [in Christchurch]. But we came here and our batters never really capitalised. Initially we thought the pitch would be similar to Christchurch. But this pitch was a lot easier for batting. The scores didn’t reflect that. There is still one Test match left and we can still level the series. That can help motivate the guys further.”
The third Test begins on December 18 in Mount Maunganui.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 278 for 9 dec (Mitchell Hay 61, Devon Conway 60; Anderson Phillip 3-70, Kemar Roach 2-43) and 57 for 1 (Devon Conway 28*, Kane Williamson 16*; Anderson Phillip 1-17) beat West Indies 205 (Shai Hope 47, John Campbell 44; Blair Tickner 4-32, Michael Ray 3-66) and 128 (Kaveem Hodge 35, Jacob Duffy 5-38, Michael Rae 3-45) by nine wickets
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