The death of swimming Coach Rizvi Zain at the Asian Games in Bangkok 1972 paved the way for Ranil Goonasena to be what he is today – swimming coach of the SSC and Hilton Colombo. The late Rizvi Zain had taken Ranil Goonasena under his wing and had trained him meticulously. Rizvi had also sent [...]

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The late Rizvi Zain was Ranil’s swim mentor

By Rangi Akbar
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The death of swimming Coach Rizvi Zain at the Asian Games in Bangkok 1972 paved the way for Ranil Goonasena to be what he is today – swimming coach of the SSC and Hilton Colombo. The late Rizvi Zain had taken Ranil Goonasena under his wing and had trained him meticulously. Rizvi had also sent Ranil some students in order that he could earn some money by training them.

“I was very badly off at that time. Rizvi’s gesture helped me a great deal. Today I am what I am, because of the late Zain,” recounted Ranil in an interview with the Sunday Times.

“Rizvi, an old Carey College student, trained me and sent me his pupils. He coached me for three years. Rizvi impressed delegates at the coaches’ seminar which both of us attended at the US Training Center in Colorado – 1985. Rizvi kept experts on swimming on their toes with his suggestions and comments and got wide coverage in the World Swimming magazine.

There are two other institutions that should take credit for Ranil’s success as a coach. One of them is the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC); the other is his old school St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya. The then chairman of the SSC Daya Perera, who was later president of the club and the late Asika Boteju, secretary and chairman of the swimming committee had accepted Ranil’s application to coach and had given him a lot of encouragement. Ranil recalls with great sadness that he could not even afford to pay the facility of Rs. 5 at that time for the fine science education which was given free of charge at these institutions because he could not afford to pay the facility fee of Rs. 5 at that time charged for these courses. “It is this science education which has helped me to understand the science of swimming a great deal,” recalled Ranil.

Ranil is no stranger to sports. He is a nephew of the legendary cricketer Gamini Goonasena, a cousin of former Air Force Commander Roshan Goonetillele

Ranil Goonasena Pic by Amila Gamage

and son of late Harry Goonetilleke, also a former Air Force Commander and well known rugby coach and referee.

Ranil’s first success in swimming came in 1975 when he got the opportunity to coach an American girl Sue Patton. “When Sue first came to me she knew how to do the crawl and the breast stroke. These two strokes only needed finishing touches. I taught her the butterfly and back strokes. Having taught her all four strokes I invited her to join the morning squads at the SSC. Her rise to fame was fantastic! Within one and a half years she established records in every event in the girls under 11 age group of the NAASU.

The subsequent years, however, were very lean for Ranil until he was sent to Ambalangoda by the NAASU (The National Amateur Aquatic Sports Union of Sri Lanka the then parent body of swimming at that time) to revive the programme.

In the late 60s Ambalangoda took the swimming community by storm. They started with nine swimmers and two of them reached national standards. The two to reach national standards were the Weerakkody brothers – Lakshman and Jayalath. (Later Jayalath became commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force). Both went on to represent Sri Lanka and also won the two Mile Sea Swim organized by the NAASU. One of the brothers beat Ananda Ranasinghe, the glamour boy of Sri Lanka sawimming at that time in one of these Two Mile contests. They were followed by K.P.N.Pathmaseva and Jayantha Jayawardena. Both represented Sri Lanka and won the Two Mile Sea Swim organized by the NAASU. “People who should be commended for the success of Ambalangoda swimming at that time are the late R.N.P. D. Silba, the teacher in charge of Dharmasoka, the late Wimalasundera, the then principal of Dharmasoka, the late Sonny Werrakkody , father of Lakshman and Jayalath and the late T. Visnanathan, then president of the parent body of swimming in Sri Lanka – the Ceylon Amateur Swimming Association (CASA).

* Next week: Swimming in Ambalangoda in detail.

 

 




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