Sports
Summa (97) still going strong coaching rugby
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Former Royal College sportsman and Sri Lanka rugby star Summa Navaratnam is going strong at the age of 97 and is still involved in the Rugby Academy he formed in 2009.He makes it a point to visit the academy and goes there on most days, after lunch, around 2.30 pm. The Sunday Island caught up with Navaratnam for a chat at his home at Kynsey Road, Colombo-8 recently. The nonagenarian happily rattled away recalling fond memories in the sports he took part and the milestones passed in his career as a sportsman and as an administrator,
He is the fifth in a family of eight and certainly was not the child to be attracted to books and education. His focus as a schoolboy was on sports; athletics, boxing and rugby union- all for which he received due recognition in school. He remembers the days when the Royal Primary was called the Training College. “I remember winning the lime and spoon race there,” is how he began unfolding old and fond memories of the initial stages of school life.
Then in 1937 he joined Royal College and excelled in sports; also at the same time barely managing to scrape through his exams. “There was much recognition for sports at Royal and I was looked upon as a demigod by junior students of the school. I say this because a junior student had written something to this effect about me in the college magazine,” recalled Navaratnam.
Life really opened up opportunities for him after he left school and joined CR&FC; thanks to a stalwart in the Police called Sydney de Zoysa. A large number of clubs was playing rugby then and the sport was pursued with great camaraderie among institutes and players, according to Navaratnam.
“No one was heard of going to courts to settle a dispute in sports,” he said underscoring the lofty position and respect everyone gave to maintain the spirit of the game. He was not inclined towards joining any club in particular, but joining CR&FC happened quite by accident. It happened when de Zoysa stopped the vehicle Summa was driving for a ‘no head lights’ offence. They had ended up that evening at the CR&FC with Navaratnam taking membership at the Longden Place club.
According to him players were not paid for their services to the club back then. “Players had to in fact pay the club for the jersey and a fee for being selected for each match they represented the club. We were taught to be independent from our young days,” said Navaratnam.
After leaving school his dream of joining the Royal Air Force was shattered despite being selected because his father withdrew his consent given earlier for this adventure. He ended up joining the Army Volunteer Force. He later served the State Trading Corporation (Consolexpo) too.
Despite having a hectic work schedule he continued his interest in sport. Athletics is close to his heart as is rugby. He has fond memories of running the race of his life against Lavy Pinto at the athletics nationals where both athletes returned timings of 11 seconds in the 100 metre sprint event. What’s memorable for him was that after running the race he had gone to the CR&FC that same evening and represented the club at a Division 1 rugby match.
Navaratnam married twice and as he recalled he met both his wives within the rugby community. He was first married to Rosemary Rogers, the bestselling author, with whom he raised two children. His second marriage was to Romaine de Zilwa. His present wife lives in Australia where Navaratnam has citizenship.
When his playing days came to an end he took to rugby administration. He became the president of the Ceylon Rugby Football Union and was also the first president of Sri Lanka’s rugby controlling body when this sports body was renamed as the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU).
Navaratnam stood for principles and ensured that all clubs at the time showed that they really existed. According to him, all clubs had to have a ground, conduct their own annual general meetings and submit accounts of the club to the rugby union. “We got along very well and the players accepted the decision of the referee without batting an eyelid,” said Navaratnam.
But there was a sour moment waiting to spoil his tenure as president of the SLRFU. Before a tour was to be made by the Sri Lanka side for the Hong Kong sevens a representative team was selected with Navaratnam approving selections. He had then gone overseas for a work related assignment and when he arrived back home he came to know that some changes had been made to the team without his knowledge. He had shown disapproval and in the end he forwarded his resignation as SLRFU president.
Navaratnam was involved with Royal College rugby for many years as a coach and gave away his services for free. But the Reid Avenue school, in later years, brought in a policy to employ only professional coaches for rugby. That rule technically took him out of being involved in rugby coaching at Royal. Undeterred he met the Royal principal and proposed that he be allowed to start a sports academy which would help students at Royal take baby steps in the field of sport. That marked the birth of the Royal Junior Rugby Academy. “Students from grades one to six are entertained at the academy and they are given an introduction to physical sports. These training sessions help to improve hand-eye co-ordination of players. The sessions will also help them work on speed and stamina,” said Navaratnam.
As much as Navaratnam talks about his fondness for rugby he also speaks about the people he met and the friendships he made, thanks to rugby. “I met a wide variety of people from different walks of life,” he said. He had all the time to enjoy rugby and absorb other cultures because he accommodates everybody who comes to him as students, players and officials. Navaratnam affirms that in a multi-cultural country like Sri Lanka students must be taught all three languages spoken in the country and the philosophies of all five religions that are practised here at a very young age.
His parting words at the interview were, “Don’t make playing rugby be hard on you. Forget winning and losing and make sure to enjoy the game”.
As the curtains rise on a fresh cycle of the World Test Championship at the iconic Galle International Stadium today, hosts Sri Lanka are likely to roll the dice on two debutants — both heavy hitters in the domestic scene who’ve been knocking on the selection door with bat and ball for quite some time.
Opening batsman Lahiru Udara, a run-machine for NCC and Sri Lanka ‘A’, looks set to finally don the coveted Test cap. At 31, Udara isn’t exactly wet behind the ears, but having piled up mountain after mountain of runs, the selectors can no longer look the other way. Time may not be his best friend, but form certainly is.
Joining him in what could be a double debut delight is off-spinner Tharindu Ratnayake, a late bloomer from Tamil Union, who at 29, has spun his way into contention. A proud product of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Ratnayake has caught the eye not just for his consistency, but for his rare ambidextrous ability — a skill that allows him to bowl with both arms. That party trick appears to have tilted the scales in his favour over the more experienced Akila Dananjaya in the final XI.
The pace attack, too, sees a changing of the guard. All-rounder Milan Ratnayake has been recalled ahead of the seasoned Kasun Rajitha — a move that raised a few eyebrows, considering Rajitha’s recent purple patch with Essex in County cricket. But in a game of fine margins, all-round versatility seem to have won the day.
Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, speaking to the media on the eve of the Test, stressed the importance of a strong start.
“We had a real shot at the WTC final in the last cycle but let it slip through our fingers due to some crucial errors,” de Silva admitted. “We had a chat this morning — about learning from the past and setting the tone from game one. Home series like these are where we must cash in.”
Sri Lanka, for all their potential, have hit a rough patch in the longest format — losing their last four Tests on the bounce: a pair each against Australia at home and South Africa away. The wounds are still fresh, and nothing would heal them better than a series win over Bangladesh.
The tourists, meanwhile, are entering uncharted waters. “I’ve played in Kandy before, but this will be our first time in Galle,” said Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. “We know the conditions will challenge us — especially the spinners will come into play early. But we’re ready for the challenge.”
History hasn’t been too kind to Bangladesh in this rivalry. Of the 26 Tests between the two nations, Sri Lanka have emerged victorious in 20. Five games were drawn, and Bangladesh’s solitary win came in 2017.
The match will also mark the final bow in whites for Sri Lanka’s warhorse, Angelo Mathews — the man who carried the middle order on his broad shoulders for over a decade. With 8000-plus Test runs under his belt — third only to Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene — Mathews’ swansong will be an emotional affair.
“I’m full of gratitude,” said Mathews, visibly moved. “It all began here in Galle, and to finish at the same venue after over 100 Tests is something special. I would’ve liked to contribute more in recent games, but I walk away knowing the future of Sri Lankan cricket is in safe hands.”
Weather, however, might play spoilsport. Galle has been drenched over the past few days and interruptions are expected. But as history shows, games at this fortress usually produce results — rain or shine.
Sri Lanka (Probable XI):
Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (Captain), Kusal Mendis (Wicketkeeper), Milan Ratnayake, Tharindu Ratnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando.
Bangladesh (Probable XI):
Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (Wicketkeeper), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Murad, Hasan Mahmud.
Rex Clementine
in Galle
Billie Jean King Cup Asia Oceania Group 3 Tennis tournament commenced with a participation of seven teams at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Monday.
The tournament which concludes on June 21 is taken part by Pakistan, Nepal, Turkmenistan, Qatar, Tajikistan, Myanmar and hosts Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka represented by Dinara de Silva, Akeesha Silva, Oneli Samarawickrama, Inuki Jayaweera and Tuvini de Alwis will battle it out to secure promotion to Group 2. Thangarajah Dineshkanthan is the captain.
Teams:
Sri Lanka:
Tuvini Seyara de Alwis (Methodist College), Inuki Jayaweera (Musaeus College), Dinara de Silva (St. Bridget’s Convent), Akeesha Silva (Newstead College Negombo), Oneli Samarawickrama (Newstead College). (Captain: Thangarajah Dineshkanthan)
Myanmar:
Htay Htay Myint, Nilar Win, Thire Zoun, Ei Phyu (Captain: Kyi Mya Zaw)
Nepal
Abhilasha Bista, Shivali Gurung, Sunira Thapa, Swastika Bista (Captain: Krishna Raj Ghale)
Pakistan
Ushna Suhail, Amna Ali Qayum, Meheq Khokhar, Sheeza Sajid (Captain: Sara Mansoor)
Qatar
Mubaraka Al-Naimi, Hind Al-Mudahka, Dana Khalifa (Captain: Mubaraka Al-Naimi)
Tajikistan
Saiyora Rajabalieva, Anisa Yakhyaeva, Sumaya Tukhtaeva, Anastasiya Tashlintseva (Captain: Dalerjon Qurbonov)
Turkmenistan
Ilima Guseynova, Aynur Movlyamova, Leyli Esenova, Jennet Orazalyyeva (Captain: Gurbanberdi Gurbanberdiyev)
Referee:
Charles Lau (Hong Kong)
Assistant Referee:
Anjana de Silva (Sri Lanka)
Tournament Director:
Nithiyanathan Sylan (Sri Lanka)
Chief umpire:
Sarangan Jayachandrirun (Sri Lanka)
Gateway College’s Under-14 netball team successfully defended their title at the TISSL Netball Tournament at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, with an inspiring display of teamwork, strategy, and determination.
Organised by Asian International School, the event saw strong competition from leading international schools across the country, but Gateway’s young athletes rose to the challenge, emerging undefeated champions for the second consecutive year.
Despite being the top seeds, Gateway was drawn into the most competitive pool: Group A, alongside formidable opponents. Undeterred, the team set the tone early by defeating Lyceum Nugegoda 8–5 and Horizon College International 7–3, topping their group with confidence and composure.
In the quarterfinals, they dominated hosts Asian International School with an emphatic 11–0 victory. The semi-final clash with Lyceum Wattala, was anticipated to be tough. However, Gateway’s well-coordinated formations and disciplined approach saw them through with a solid 8–2 win.
The final against ILMA International School proved to be a tactical and hard-fought battle. Though the final score read 8–3, it barely reflected the intensity of the encounter, with both sides showcasing high-quality netball. Gateway, however, maintained its composure to secure a well-earned victory and the championship trophy once again.
Leading the team with grace and grit was Captain Adeeba Fareen, whose leadership has been a pillar of strength throughout the tournament. Vice-Captain Shenali Wanigasekara was outstanding in defense and was rightfully named Best Defensive Player. Rayani Gunathileke, known for her relentless energy and precision, walked away with the Best Shooter award, while Griyada Hapukotuwa, consistent and dependable in every match, was crowned Netball Queen.
Coached by Jayanthi Somasekaram, Head of Sports, and assisted by Samuddhi Abeygunawardene and Achini Madhushika, this victory marks not just a championship win but a celebration of skill, spirit, and the power of teamwork.
Shenali Wanigasekara, Rayani Gunathileke and Griyada Hapukotuwa won individual awards.
Adeeba Fareen (Captain)
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