Volleyball in Sri Lanka is 100 years but the game has still not progressed
The national sport in Sri Lanka is volleyball. Sri Lanka is the first country to make volleyball the national sport among South Asian countries and the first in the world. It is 100 years since volleyball was introduced to Sri Lanka. It was first introduced to the island in 1916.
Sunil Premasiri
It is 65 years since the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation was formed in 1951. However to date Sri Lanka men have not been able to win a single championship in the South Asian region.
In 1991 Sri Lanka’s won a women’s championship at the South Asian Games held in Colombo. Since then our women too have not been able to win a title. Sri Lanka possesses several talented volleyball players but it is of no use. They have not been able to win a single championship. This is a sad situation.
It is sad to note that volleyball administrators have forgotten that the sport has reached 100 years in the country.
This was stated by a veteran volleyball player of the 70’s Sunil Premasiri. He is a former player of Koswadiya Wijeya, a well known volleyball club in the island. At club level Sunil Premasiri was a top level dasher and excelled in jumping dashes. He has represented Sri Lanka on three occasions in competitions to China, Pakistan and India. He is a double national player as well. His other sport is wrestling.
In the 1960s Premasiri emerged as a top level school wrestler. He won several school level championships from 1965 to 1972.
He had excelled in volleyball from 1969 to 1983 at school, club and national level. Because of his skills in volleyball and wrestling he was taken into the Sports Ministry in 1975 as a Sports Officer. Later he blossomed out as a volleyball coach and administrator.
He is an old boy of St. Sebastian’s Central College, Madampe. He is now retired and is aged 64 years.
“We did not have the facilities that sportsmen enjoy these days. We ate a bun and had a tea from a nearby boutique before taking part in sports. It was in the 1970s and 1980s that the best volleyball players emerged. There were no Asian championships those days, no foreign tours. If we enjoyed those facilities that the present day sportsmen are enjoying, rest assured we could have brought credit to the country. We had players who could dash the ball with great strength. To a dash that I gave one day, the air exuded from the ball. Volleyball was played in almost all villages. We had to find our own balls and nets. Or else someone from the village helped us to obtain nets and balls. I had that special skill to jump and dash the ball. Everyone cannot indulge in that special skill. Today volleyball has been distanced from villages. Only the armed forces indulge in volleyball a great deal. Not in villages. Sri Lanka has reached the milestone of 100 years in volleyball. At least a new era should begin now.
“If one is to improve volleyball, there should be a host of veteran volleyball players. At least 50 percent. The other 50 percent should consist of volleyball fans. If these two combine, then a great future lies ahead of us,” concluded Sunil Premasiri.
Sunil Premasiri is the father of three daughters. Two are in the United Kingdom and one in Sri Lanka. Currently he helps village sports in his retirement.
Sunil Premasiri’s sports career:
Schools attended: 1957-1962: Saraswathi Central College, Koswadiya.
1962-1970: St. Sebastian Central College, Madampe
Wrestling: Championships awarded: All Island wrestling championship in 1968 (90lbs); All Island Inter-School Wrestling championship in 1964 (55lbs), 1966 (67.5lbs) and in 1968 (90lbs); Armstrong wrestling championship in 1965 (55lbs); Y.M.C.A wrestling championship in 1965 (55lbs); Sabaragamuwa Province wrestling championship in 1972 (125lbs); National Championship 1968 Weight (90lbs).
Volleyball: Championships awarded: 1969 – Koswadiya Wijaya volleyball team – Winners of the North Western Province Championship organised by Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation; Played for Thulhiriya Textile Cooperation team; Won the championship at all island volleyball tournament in 1972, won the championship and adjudged the best player in all island volleyball tournament organised by Udupila Sisira Sports Society in 1975. Winners of the All Island Mercantile Volleyball Championship in 1979; 1980–All Island Mercantile Volleyball Championship, Gampaha Central Sports Society; 1982 – Winners at the SLRC volleyball tournament – Captain – Nattandiya United; 1983 – Runners-up – National volleyball tournament – Captain – Nattandiya United , Awarded as the best player’ trophy
Tours: 1976 – China and Pakistan; 1983 – India; 1993 – Maldives; Coach of the Puttalam District volleyball team
* Played for the President’s team of the Volleyball Federation against China in 1974; for the Puttalam District team against Russia, India, Germany
Professions: 1972- 1974:
Thulhiriya Textile Cooperation; 1975-1996: Sports Officer, Sports Ministry. 1985 – Completed the Sports diploma at Sports Ministry.
Thulhiriya Textile Cooperation; 1975-1996: Sports Officer, Sports Ministry. 1985 – Completed the Sports diploma at Sports Ministry; 1989 – Selected for a scholarship at Lypsich University, East Germany
Volleyball Federation: 1996 – Vise president in the Volleyball Interim board 2005, 2007, 2011; Member of the Volleyball selection committee.
2012 – 2016 – Chief Organiser – Sri Lanka Veterans Volleyball Association
Volleyball Tournament programme from yesterday onwards: Coaching camp for school students;– Upahara; Exhibition Volleyball Match – SL Port Authority team Vs SL Air force team.
Special Awards (Upahara): Two persons will be awarded to contributing to the development of volleyball in 1960’s: M.P.D. Wijewardane, H.S. Madurapperuma. Former Sports instructor of Dhammissara National College ; D.M.M. Dissanayake Coach – Silver medal winners – Sri Lanka Men’s team – South Asian Games – Charles Thilakaratne; Assistant Coach – Silver medal winners – Sri Lanka women’s team – South Asian Games – Samansiri Seneviratne; Six players – Silver Medal winners of South Asian Games (Both men and women)