Shehan Dassanayake, the present Deputy Head Prefect of Sports at Royal College, Colombo won the rare ‘Group Captain DS Wickramasinghe Memorial Award’ for the Best Sportsman’ for the year 2010.
The award which is presented to a Royalist who has earned colours in or above three sports has not been claimed since 2007. Shehan who has played rugby, water polo and swimming went on to win colours in all three sports last year and eventually went on to claim the award that is a rare achievement in a Royalist’s life.

“It was last won by Bilal Hassen who won colours in all three sports which I won last year. The trophy has six great names engraved on it and to become the lucky seventh is a great honour. I’m happy to achieve such a feat during my last year,” said a delighted Shehan.

Shehan Dassanayake

Shehan who is a self-motivated youngster lead a balanced life as a budding youth whilst engaging in three different sports and studies alike. He got through the GCE O/L exam in 2007with five A, a B and two C passes, a ratio that is high on par for a sportsman.

He took up sports at junior level but after getting through with flying colours in his initial academic hurdle Shehan seriously attended the activities. He continuously represented the Royal water polo team from 2007 and went on to win colours in all four years. Shehan was also a member of the team that won the Dr. RL Hayman trophy for three consecutive years since 2007 against arch rivals S. Thomas’. Last year he captained the team.

“It’s a great sport and to win colours for four straight years is wonderful. I played as the left bar and loved every moment in the pool,” he said. In water-sports Shehan continued to impress at swimming and diving. He captained Marsh House and also won colours in 2007. He went on to receive colours on 2009 and 2010 and reached the national junior level in swimming, diving and water polo.

Rugby was a sport that grabbed much of the attention of Shehan as well as of his parents. After engaging seriously in the sport for so many years Shehan was selected to play in the junior encounters of the traditional Bradby Shield. He was a member of the team that won the Sumithrarachchi Trophy against Trinity and the Thambipillai Trophy in 2008. Eventually he went on to play an entire first XV rugby season and a series of the renowned Bradby Shield in 2010 which earned him colours in the sport. With a busy life Shehan managed to get through the GCE A/L with an A, a B and two C passes.

“I was a flanker and if I rated rugby and water polo as the two best sports to be engaged in because it gives you the spirit of working with the team. I gained experience in leadership skills and team spirit while doing all these sports”.

“I think I had the greatest luck with a very well supportive family. They just let me do what I liked and I did so. My parents never tried to pursue their dreams through me. They are very sporty in supporting my sporting career,” added the youngster.

Shehan has big ambitions for his future and at present apart from overseeing the sports affairs at Royal he is also the under-15 water polo coach. He elaborated his future goals in brief. “I joined Navy Sports Club to continue water polo but rugby I have not yet found a club to play with. My dream is to play rugby for CR & FC. I haven’t planned anything big on my future but I would really love to engage in sports while I’m doing my higher studies in business management,” he revealed.

The Group Captain DS Wickramasinghe Memorial Award for the Best Sportsman of the Year is a rare honour presented to a Royalist who has won colours in three or above disciplines of sports. This award was commenced in 1990 and former cricket captain Anushka Polonovita was the first sportsman to win it in 1996.

Jehan Mubarak (1997), Shanaka Perera (1998), Viraj de Silva (1999), Sampath Ediriweera (2000) and Hassen (2007) are the other successful recipients to win the award. Group Captain Wickramasinghe was a distinguished Royalist who died in action during the war against the terrorists in 1989. He represented Royal at athletics, rugby, tennis, basketball and cricket.