Reminiscnces of University of Ceylon Hockey tour of India-1961

The then University of Ceylon was a member of the All-India Universities Association from the beginning till about the mid nineteen sixties. As such, the cricket team, the boxing team, the athletics team or the hockey team used to travel to India to participate in the All-India tournaments. In the early fifties, the boxing tournament was conducted in the gymnasium of the University at Peradeniya, which I believe is the only time an All-India Universities tournament was held in Sri Lanka.

Whenever a team went to India they used to travel by air, stay in a hotel, play the first match, lose same and return home. However, in 1961 when the University of Ceylon hockey team traveled to India the team went by ship to Bombay and returned the same way. This was made possible due to the decision taken by the Manager of the team, Dr. Sarvesvaran, who was a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo. There were 15 of us in the team, 11 from Colombo and four from Peradeniya. The team comprised Ken Rajendra (Captain), A. Thambirajah (Vice Captain), Hari Rasiah, HN Wickramasinghe, URP Goonatilaka, Percy Silva, Elmo Samuel, Maxie Fernandopulle (all from the Colombo Medical Faculty) and SP Ekanayake (from the Colombo Science Faculty), and WB Adikaram, Vijay Samaraweera, T Kirubaithilakan and myself from Peradeniya.

On the appointed day all of us assembled at the entrance to the Colombo Harbour. I travelled from Kandy by bus to Colombo. When all had arrived we went in and were taken by launch to board the Mesageries Maritime (MM) ship named Vietnam. It sailed from the Colombo harbour and proceeded northwards towards Bombay(now Mumbai). After two and a half days’ of sailing we reached the Bombay harbour. Here an interesting thing happened. The engine of the ship was switched off and a tug boat towed and turned the ship completely round so that the gangways for passengers to alight were on the side of the jetty.

The trip was really an enjoyable one. Each one of us had a cabin which was very comfortable. As it was a French ship there was plenty of wine served at meals. If anyone requested water, the waiters were not happy. The meal times were really enjoyable as we had a good time with the waiters who were French and as such not very conversant in English. Most of the time we used get on to the top deck and have sing songs enjoying ourselves as this was the only place where all of us could get together. Sometimes when the sea was a little rough the waves used to wash over the deck drenching everyone on deck.

On the ship reaching Bombay we disembarked and went by horse drawn carriages to the Victoria Railway station to travel to Ahmedabad where the tournament was to be held. When we entered the station we seemed lost as it was so large. We boarded the train to Ahmedabad and in a few hours reached our destination. We were put up in the university hostel where we spent one night before the match. Ours was the first match of the tournament which was played in the late afternoon. We got onto the field at the appointed hour and after the toss the selection of the sides were decided and the match started. I played fullback with Hari.

After about 20 minutes of play one of the players of the opposing side gave me a hard shot on the shin of my left leg just below the knee. As soon as I was hit I shouted at him in the choicest Sinhala used in such situations, which made all the spectators laugh even though they did not understand what I had said! I came off the field and they brought some ice and put on the injury which was bleeding profusely. After resting for a while I got back onto the field and played again. We lost the match by one goal to nil.

The pain due to the injury became very bad the following day and I was taken to hospital next morning and the injury sutured to prevent further bleeding. I went back to the hostel and was laid up in bed for three days while the others went out to play some matches with school teams.

After about three days in Ahmedabad we traveled back by train to Bombay, stayed a couple of days at the Mahabodhi Society Centre and then moved to a school. We were accommodated on the stage in the school hall. All of us bought handloom bedspreads and air pillows to sleep on. Early in the morning we used to get up, put all our belongings in one place and roam about in the city especially on the marine drive which was a wonderful place to relax like Galle Face. We arranged a few matches with schools too.

One day, we took the night train from Bombay to Poona (now Pune) as a match had been arranged with the Indian Defence Academy. As we alighted from the station we were taken to the Academy where we were served breakfast. After breakfast we played the match against the Academy team. They were a very fit bunch of players and ran around us in circles, so to say. Though defeated badly the experience gained stood us in good stead.

We spent about one month without paying for accommodation but only for food. We were taken to see the Elephanta caves which had paintings similar to Sigiriya frescoes, with most of them being related to the Ramayanaya. Another important place we visited was the huge marque style Crawford Market where one could get lost if he did not know the geography of the place as it is so vast with so many aisles amongst the large number of shops.

Now the time had come for us to depart and head homewards. On the scheduled date we went to the Bombay Harbour and boarded the MM Cambodge. We had no problem finding our way as this was an exact replica of the Vietnam. In fact they had three ships of the same design, the third being MM Laos. After a cruise of two and a half days we arrived in Colombo having enjoyed the return trip as much as the first. Thereafter we bade goodbye to each other and returned to our homes. It was indeed a memorable trip and we still maintain our friendship with those still with us as about half of that team have departed from this world.

Of the players who went on this tour, later Hari Rasiah played for CCC while SP Ekanayake, WB Adikaram and I played for BRC. I also played for Bloomfield as a fulback with Freddie White who had given up his goalkeeping.

HM Nissanka

Warakaulle