Whether it is the number of medals or the number of productive citizens it produced since its inception as s sports school, the achievements of A. Ratnayake Central Walala will remain unmatched among sports schools of the country. Behind every successful sports school stands a coach. For Ratnayake central it was Susantha Fernando—a man whose contribution to Sri Lankan athletics extends far beyond podium finishes and into the very foundations of sports education and athlete development.

‎‎For more than three decades, Fernando has been the driving force behind the track and field sucess at A. Rathnayake Central College, Walala, transforming a little kown school into one of the most dominant track and field institutions in Sri Lankan school sports history. Under his guidance, Walala achieved unprecedented sucess, winning titles at the All Island School Games, Sir John Tarbat Senior Championships and National Schools Relay Championships more than any other school in the country.

‎Walala’s success was not accidental. It was built on discipline, long-term planning, and a coaching philosophy that valued development over quick results. Fernando believed that talent, when nurtured patiently and systematically, could rival any advantage offered by superior facilities or urban exposure. Walala became living proof of that belief.

‎Renowned for his expertise in middle- and long-distance running, Susantha has been instrumental in shaping some of Sri Lanka’s finest athletes. His eye for potential and his understanding of physical and mental growth allowed young runners to mature into elite competitors on the international stage.

‎‎Among those who rose under his mentorship are Tharushi Karunaratne, Asian Games gold medalist and national 800m record holder; Dilshi Kumarasinghe, triple gold medalist at the South Asian Games and former national record holder; Manoj Pushpakumara, a multiple medalist at the Asian Junior Championships; and Indunil Herath, a national 800m record holder whose early development took place at Walala.

‎Collectively, athletes coached by Fernando have secured over 70 international medals, including achievements at the Asian Games, Youth Olympics, and South Asian Games. These results reflect not just individual brilliance, but a coaching system capable of producing excellence across generations.

‎‎Yet, those who know Susantha Fernando well insist his greatest strength lies beyond training schedules and race strategies. He viewed coaching as a form of education and character building. Discipline, humility, responsibility, and respect were central to his program. Winning mattered, but never at the expense of values.

‎This philosophy resonates strongly with long-standing discussions in Sri Lankan sports circles—often highlighted in The Island and The Sunday Island—about the need for structure, continuity, and ethics in sports development. Fernando’s career stands as a practical demonstration of those ideals.

‎His influence expanded when he was entrusted with duties as Assistant Director of Education (Sports and Physical Education) at the Wattegama Zonal Education Office. In this role, he has emerged as a strong advocate for reforming how physical education is treated within the school system.

‎Fernando proposed several progressive measures, including the introduction of mandatory termly fitness assessments for secondary students, compulsory participation in at least one sport, and the inclusion of physical fitness grades on GCE O/L and A/L result sheets. His vision was clear: physical education must be an integral part of national development, not a secondary concern.

‎Recognition for his work has come as Best Coach awards at Sports Awards ceremonies. More meaningful, however, was the tributes paid by former Walala athletes, his fellow officials and a distinguished gathering including former Director of Education Sunil Jayaweera at a felicitation ceremony organized by Tharanga Gunaratne, Director of Education at Wattegama Zone on the occation of his retirement from government service and at the launch of his autobiography ‘Dekumkalu Kalunika’ recently.

‎Both events reflected the gratitude not only for medals won, but for lives shaped.

‎Like many coaches working within limited systems, Fernando’s journey was marked by challenges—restricted resources, long hours, and personal sacrifice. Yet his quiet resilience ensured that standards were never compromised.

‎Susantha Fernando’s legacy is not confined to record books. It lives in the systems he built, the athletes he guided, and the values he instilled. As Sri Lanka continues to search for sustainable sporting success, his career offers a powerful lesson: ‘true excellence is built patiently, ethically, and with unwavering belief in people’.

‎In Susantha Fernando, Sri Lanka has not only produced champions—but a model of coaching worth preserving. He leaves a huge vacuum hard to fill.