Hockey enthusiast’s point of view
View(s):I am a Hockey enthusiast. I have never missed watching the annually conducted National Hockey Championship during the past five decades. This year I witnessed a colourful and a well organised tournament at the Astro Turf at Reid Avenue, Colombo 07 which ended ceremonially under the tutelage of Sumith Edirisinghe, presently the DIG of Police Greater Colombo Range, the President of the Sri Lanka Hockey Federation who had been holding the office since 2007. He has proved his ability to shoulder the firm leadership and measure of efficacy not only in the prevention of crime but organising a national sports event even under appalling condition amidst meager financial sponsorships.
By this year the Combined Defence Services team played separately under their own banner namely Army, Navy, Air Force and Police and played extremely well after a long lapse of years. Finally the Air Force Team won the championship defeating the contender Sri Lanka Army by 05-02 at the Cup Final. Teams comprising men and women from schools and provincial clubs from Colombo, Kandy, Matale, Badulla, Galle who took part the tournaments held from 21.11.2013 to 24.11.2013 at different venues at Astro Turf, CCC 
Grounds, Wesley College showed off a sense of achievement. All the teams which took part were given basic training sessions at Astro Turf in order to get them familiarised into such venue which idea brought the outstations teams a real benefit. The participants were also provided with two track-bottoms, two T’shirts in each, two emblematic bags, six CD’s free of charge before the commencement of the coaching camps. The Sri Lanka Hockey Federation had taken all measures to provide free accommodation, meals and other basic needs to the local and foreign officials as well during the period of the tournament.
Mr. Nimal Lokuge, the Managing Director of the Sierra Group of Companies was the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony while Mr. Sumith Edirisnghe closed the occasion.
During the games were in progress I saw a group of youngsters clad in school uniform ages around 14-16 said to have been brought them there by the Ruhunu Campus standing by the side of the Astro Turf cheering the players. Later I was made to understand that they were from Belihuloya in Ratnapura area under privileged, unaffordable lads to play hockey.
Lo and behold I saw Mr. Sumith Edirisinghe who appeared before them stepping down his seat in the pavilion having a friendly chat which gesture made the lads faces suddenly got emanated paradoxically. Few minutes later Mr. Edirisinghe brought down 30 hockey sticks, balls and pads and gave the lads who were in pensive mood without having a second thought over the expenses incurred in order to fulfill their paucity in possessing sports items. Thereafter the willing lads from the rural area jumped into the Astro Turf when it was free under gloomy weather and started playing hockey which scenario was watched empathetically and sense of benevolent by Mr. Sumith Edirisinghe, an act reflected a totem his heart to help munificence to the needy, it was a strange spectacle to observe, later two out of them enrolled to coaching camp in order to resurgence the game as a token of gratitude to lads and lasses in rural areas. This has reflected his generosity towards the under privileged extended beyond boundaries.
When I have had an interview with Mr. Edirisinghe and the college of the SLHF office bearers at the sports Pavilion they informed that all these arrangements were done under a tight schedule in persuasion sponsorship with the endeavor of Mr. Sumith Edirisinghe to the successful commercial enterprises, Mr. Edirisinghe who was a visionary, pragmatic and a man of action fondly called by his closed associates that he is none of ace, but Jack of all trades. The sponsors namely Mr. Arjuna of CKB Industries the regular donor who had given financial assistance plus distribution of 500 T’shirts supported by Sri Lanka Lotteries Board and Hydramony Company. His special thanks were extended to Sri Lanka Navy who had provided tents, embellishing sounds while the Sri Lanka Army and Colombo Hockey Association, Mr. N.K. Illangakoon the IG Police made their fullest cooperation and contribution in various means.
He has also stressed that appropriate action will be taken in the near future to to have state sponsorship with the help of fund raising campaign through Hockey Clubs, business community and state owned Banks.
The International Hockey Federation has come forward to hold coaching camps to our players on 26.11.2013 while the Olympic Solidarity Committee held a trainer’s training course prior to the scheduled tournaments; all these events were funded by the International Olympic Committee. The SLHF officials had informed that they had a vision plan to train five selected players by a coach and to deploy one coach to each province to start off coaching in two schools in rural areas firstly with under 13 to introduce the game in out stations. When I met Mr. Sumith Edirisinghe at his Police Office at Nugegoda a few weeks ago he informed that his ambition is to bring back the game into international level par equal to the status of Rugby football and cricket.
I fervently hope Mr. Sumith Edirisinghe, a scholarly Police Officer with a record of impeccable integrity a degree holder in Business Management at Kelaniya University who had vast experience in the International sports arena having toured around the world and who had also done extra curricular activities at Nalanda College Colombo, specially in Senior Cadetting and later represented the Sri Lanka Police Hockey Team, an accomplished ambidextrous player who will definitely be able to keep the game alive here and abroad even under various impediments. Under these circumstances I wish that Sri Lankan Hockey Fans will pay a warm gratitude to SLHF and give them three hearty cheers for the commendable job done. In conclusion I wish to put into record an adage which goes like this: “Encouragement is more effective than criticism”.
- Saratha Dhanapala, Kandy