Sports
Mahanama’s book reveals Ranil backed Thilanga undermining Amarasuriya
by Rex Clementine
Among those who follow the gentleman’s game closely, many regard UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as Mr. Clean. But if they get hold of Roshan Mahnama’s new book, they will have a second opinion. Mahanama in his autobiography ‘My Innings’ goes onto claim that Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister in 2002 stopped then cricket chief Hemaka Amarasuriya from attending an ICC Meeting and instead nominated Thilanga Sumathipala.
“We were appointed to mange Sri Lanka Cricket due to a prevalent issue at the time, till fresh elections appointed a new committee. However, this was a very brief stint as the level of politics involved was contrary to my work ethic and principles. As an example, the Interim Committee decided that the Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya should attend the ICC annual meeting. However, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe overruled and said that Thilanga Sumathipala who was not even part of the committee at the time, would attend instead,” writes Mahanama.
To give a bit of background, Sumathipala had been ousted a year prior to that as cricket chief by President Chandrika Kumaratunga and he would avenge his ouster by triggering multiple crossovers that crashed CBK’s Peoples’ Alliance government and Wickremesinghe’s UNP came into power. Sumathipala and the UNP had a deal and Wickremesinghe paved the way for Sumathipala to make a comeback at Maitland Place.
This is Mahanama’s second book on cricket and it was launched just before the festive season. Like the first one, it is selling like hot cakes. The book has some interesting anecdotes, mostly Mahanama’s observations during his long stint as a Match Referee with the ICC.
Often, cricket fans have wondered why Brian Lara batted wearing sunglasses during certain stages of his career. With fast bowlers operating at 140kmph it’s not the most sensible thing to do, that too in fading light. But Lara had his own ways. Mahanama’s book gives you a clue to his eccentrics.
“Memories go back to my first Test match in St. Lucia. I was walking out to the middle with the West Indies captain Brian Lara. I noticed that he was wearing dark sunglasses despite it being overcast and the possibility of rain and I made a casual comment with regards to it. Brian replied in typical Caribbean style, ‘Rosh, I came back at 5 am, and I need to hide my eyes from the camera.’ Such was the culture in the Caribbean and the brilliance of the individual he flayed the bowling to all parts and scored a hundred in quick time as well.”
Mahanama goes onto explain in the book some of the challenges that he faced in the early days as an ICC Match Referee.
“During my early days, I vividly recall some umpires intentionally used to call me ‘Ranjan’ repeatedly. I perceived this to be done as a side jab or indication that they believed that I had received my appointment due to Ranjan Madugalle, as it was only Sri Lanka who had two members on the Elite Panel of seven referees. I handled the issue patiently and professionally. Once I became more confident in my role, I used to at times reply in jest that, ‘you can only take a horse to the water, but you can not make it drink.’
Mahanama’s book also deals with some of the issues facing Sri Lankan cricket and most cricket enthusiasts tend to agree with his sentiments.
“Since the 1996 World Cup, for over two decades most of the administrators at the top have remained unchanged. They transfer from one position to the next and make changes with individuals such as coaches and selectors who are involved with cricket operations. However, it is ensured that they themselves or individuals associated to their ideology remain in key positions. A profound change is now required,” he notes.
“The constitution of SLC and the Sports Law of the country needs to be changed drastically. The present system where appointments are made through an election of club representatives numbering over a hundred small clubs, some of which are unheard of, leaves significant room for mismanagement by certain individuals. Such votes are easily bought over, which leads to the monopoly created by the same individuals who keep getting themselves re-elected. Hence, a complete revamp is needed,” he goes onto point out.
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana, whose participation at the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship was in doubt due to an injury, proved his fitness for next week’s event with an impressive performance at the fitness test conducted in Colombo on Wednesday.
Dharshana completed 300 metres in a time of 33.41 seconds at the Sugathadasa Stadium to the satisfaction of track and field authorities.
Sri Lanka Athletics announced Dharshana’s effort as ‘successful’ after the 26-year-old completed the test. That will make him eligible for his pet event the 400 metres and the two relay events, the men’s 4×400 metres and the 4×400 metres mixed relay.
He had to prove his fitness for the event in South Korea following an injury he sustained at the recently held World Relays in China.
Dharshana was a key member of the team that established a new championship record in winning the men’s 4×400 metres relay at the last edition. He was also part of the team that won silver in the mixed relay.
The Asian Championship is vital for all track and field athletes as it opens a valuable opportunity to improve their world rankings and earn qualifying standards for the World Championships which will be held in Tokyo, Japan later this year.
by Reemus Fernando
Gateway College proudly celebrates the achievement of nine outstanding students who have been selected to represent Sri Lanka in three major sporting disciplines – football, squash and athletics. This remarkable milestone highlights the school’s commitment to holistic education, where excellence is pursued both inside and outside the classroom.
Gateway encourages every student to discover and nurture their talents with the support of expert coaches, modern facilities and a school culture that values discipline, passion, and perseverance. These international selections are a reflection of that vision in action.
In football, Gateway remains the only international school competing in Division 1 of the All-Island Schools’ Football League. Three talented players — Aidan Francis Perera, Nadal Aaron Senapala, and Anuk Shahil Dassanayake — have been chosen to represent Sri Lanka at the SAFF U19 Football Championship in India.
In squash, Gateway continues its proud tradition of producing national-level players. Five students have qualified to compete at the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in South Korea: Taveesha Goonasekera (Girls U13), Manuth Dassanayake and Dillon Perukanda (Boys U15), and Sithumli Mendis and Chanumi Thebuwanna (Girls U15).
On the track, Shanuka Costa flew the Sri Lankan flag at the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Saudi Arabia. He finished fourth in the Medley Relay and reached the semi-finals in the 400m — a performance that speaks volumes about his potential and dedication.
These young athletes are not only ambassadors of Gateway but also of Sri Lanka. Their achievements stand as a testament to what is possible when talent meets opportunity. Gateway College congratulates them all and wishes them continued success as they take their next steps on the global stage.
Sri Lanka A will travel to Australia for a multi-format series against Australia A in July, marking the return of first-class cricket to Darwin for the first time since 2006.
This series includes three 50-over matches and two four-day games, all to be played at the Marrara Cricket Ground and Marrara Stadium in Darwin.
All five matches will be streamed live on Kayo Sports and cricket.com.au, offering fans the chance to follow the action closely.
Peter Roach, CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling said:
“It’s fantastic to confirm a multi-format series which gives the next crop of emerging cricketers excellent development opportunities throughout the Australian winter.
“Darwin’s dry season weather between May and September offers both the Northern Territory and Australian Cricket an incredible winter opportunity which allows cricket to be played in Australia all-year round.
Hosting these matches, and especially a match at Marrara Stadium, gives significant status to the series ahead of the 2025-26 international season.
Schedule
July 4:
First 50-over Match (D/N)
July 6:
Second 50-over Match
July 9:
Third 50-over Match
July 13–16:
First Four-Day Match
July 20–23:
Second Four-Day Match
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-western, North-central, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara and Ampara districts
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