St. Sebastian’s back on the basketball track

In the bygone years it was the Colombo schools that dominated basketball in Sri Lanka. Bens under Ram Sunderalingam, Peterites coached by Naufer Mahroof and the Josephians shaped by Mahadevan were the trojans who won tournaments. Led by this trio and flanked by other basketball playing schools in the capital, the game had its foundation laid down in concrete – Colombo style.

Moratuwa and Batticaloa were the painful thorns amidst the Colombo teams when it came to championships. And Trinco was the dark horse, almost unbeatable in their heyday, playing under the wizard, late Father Eugene Herbert. This is what basketball was, beginning from the sixties.

Today the faded memories remain. On a lucky day one might meet Doc Thurai, as he was popularly known, walking his wards with the stethoscope round his neck. He was the best we saw in that era. If one visits Batticaloa there is a prominent statue outside the town. It is of a tall Jesuit Priest. Here, he cradles a Wilson basketball ready to take a ‘time-out’ and yell at the referee. That is Father Herbert, the man who filled the Eastern Province with stellar players who left their luminous mark in the basketball courts of Sri Lanka.

More recently in April, on the 6th Sunday, I watched the under 13 ‘B’ division basketball finals between St. Sebastian’s and St. Thomas’ Prep. It was played at a flood-lit indoor court in Moratuwa. No, it certainly wasn’t in the league of Madison Square Garden, but it was more than adequate for a schools’ final. I sat on a wooden bench and watched the match thanking the court creator Sugath Thevarapperuma. I must mention this former national player who is doing yeomen service to promote basketball by establishing indoor courts in different locations.

Back to the match. It was good and exciting and the Sebastians won 37-36 by a solitary point. This was great for Moratuwa and the school and the young players. This victory would awaken the school and the basketballers from the doldrums they had been mired for a considerable time to say ;we are coming back’.

This 1-point victory I witnessed appeared to me as a catalyst for greater performances and perhaps an eye-opener for the Moratuwa lads. They are indeed capable of leaping bigger steps to reach higher pedestals in schools’ basketball championships. Yes, that is an achievable possibility, and the need is to change gears and go for the over-drive.

It is time for St Sebastian’s to forget the apathetic era and the reasons for such, and forge ahead with renewed motivation to re-claim former glories with their current potential.

The Thomians fought to the end. They certainly were equal in spirit and determination to become the champions. The difference was simply 1 solitary point. The pattern of play was the same by both teams and the award for the best player went to Akash Wijesinghe and Amantha Hettiarachchi was adjudged the best guard.

I noticed that some new rules have been introduced to control the game. The teams are only allowed to play ‘man-to-man’ and they could do so only from the center line. Additionally, the coach cannot use a double guard on the opposing best player. The teams are not allowed to use a zonal defense or play a floating man to man. If these rules came from FIBA then there is no argument. But if it is a local ramification of rules of how the game should be played, I have to humbly say that this will be a significant deterrent to coaches and players and a recurring headache to the referees. Over to you Sir, the Head of the Schools’ Basketball Association.

For me personally, it was an ‘Alma Mater delight’ to notice that the two coaches of the playing teams were both from St Sebastians and the assistant coach too was from my old school. Chaminda de Alwis and Susil Dias coached St. Sebastian’s and Isuru Perera the Thomians.

Chaminda captained the national team and Isuru had Ceylon Basketball colours and Susil represented All Island Schools.

Yes, St. Sebastian’s had a lot of glory days in basketball. Many of their players represented and captained the national team. Then one might ask, “how come they hit rock bottom playing a game they more or less dominated?”

The answer is simple, I will leave it for another day to elaborate.

On second thoughts, some things are best left unsaid.

by Capt. Elmo Jayawardena

elmojay1@gmail.com