The London Olympics ends today. Only two athletes have brought honour to Sri Lanka at these prestigious games. They are Duncan White (Hurdles) and Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sydney Olympics 2000 in the 200M, who was awarded the Silver after Marion Jones was disqualified for having taken a banned substance. Duncan White is a man from Kandy. [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Name Bogambara or Trinitygates in memory of Duncan

By Bernie Wijesekera
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Duncan White

The London Olympics ends today. Only two athletes have brought honour to Sri Lanka at these prestigious games. They are Duncan White (Hurdles) and Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sydney Olympics 2000 in the 200M, who was awarded the Silver after Marion Jones was disqualified for having taken a banned substance.

Duncan White is a man from Kandy. The least the sports loving people of Kandy can do remember Duncan White is to name the Bogambara Stadium gates or the Trinity College grounds Asgiriya gates in memory of this great athlete who bagged a Silver Medal at the 1948 Olympics in London.

This medal to Sri Lanka (Ceylon then) made people sit up and take notice of tiny Ceylon.  Duncan White was edged by Roy Cochran to second place.Duncan White studied at Trinity College Kandy and he trained at the Asgiriya Grounds. He did not even have a pair of joggers but he toiled hard on the rough Asgiriya buffalo grass to achieve this great feat.

Later Duncan White and his wife settled down in Birmingham, Warwickshire (UK), and Duncan passed away in England.
Duncan White’s brother Freddie White was a great hockey player. Both these players put country before self. It is high time that the performances of these players are recognized.




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