The unsung achiever in Sri Lankan athletics
P.H.D. (on right) handling a stubborn USA athlete who refused to leave the track after he was disqualified
Sitting quietly by in the official’s room at the Sugathadasa Stadium during last weekend’s Athletics Nationals was a highly respected Athletics administrator. Occasionally he would lean towards his neighbour and exchange a quiet word. However, the impression of quietness was a misnomer. Once he got going on his pet subject — Athletics, he went on and on like Tennyson’s “Babbling Brook”.
P.H.D. Waidyatilleka was his name. He had his education at Richmond College Galle where he excelled in Athletics. He participated in Public Schools meets and was quite successful. In fact, the record he set in the 110metre hurdles event at the Southern Group Meet remained untouched for over 25 years. He also participated in the Nationals but found hurdlers such as E.M.D.M. Perera and C.M. Muttiah (India) a tad too good for him.
Waidyatilleka did his Engineering studies at the Colombo and Peradeniya Universities. On completing his academic pursuits, he joined the State Engineering Corporation. Forced to serve in different parts of the country, he was compelled to put an end to his Athletics career. He did participate in Veteran’s Athletics and was a constant presence at Sri Lanka Masters Events.
Joining the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka, which was then headed by the late Lalith Athulathmudali (himself a Public Schools athlete) Waidyatilleka, served as the Chairman of the Athletics Technical Committee. When S.B. Dissanaike took over the presidency, he found that the results of the Technical Officers exam had been unduly delayed. SB gave an ultimatum to release the results in one month. Waidyatilleka was entrusted with the onerous responsibility. What ten officers had laboured over, he did in two weeks and ‘hey presto’, the results were released.
He topped the list when the I.A.A.F. conducted a course for Level One Lecturers in Jakarta in 1995. The candidates had to make a presentation. Lots were drawn for choice of topics and to his great, good fortune, he had to speak on ‘Hurdles’ — something that was right up his street.
By a quirk of circumstances, Waidyatilleka was not nominated by Sri Lanka to attend the Asian Technical Officer’s examination held in Singapore in 1997. But, the I.A.A.F., who were highly appreciative of the work done in this field by the Sri Lankan, stepped in and ensured his nomination.
The International Athletics Federation conducted a course every four years to up-grade the knowledge of the Technical Officers. It was not unexpected that Waidyatilleka generally ended up in first place among Asians.
He officiated at the Beijing Olympics (2008) and at the World Championships held in London and elsewhere. Starting from the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Waidyatilleka was an official at all the Subsequent Games until the last one held on the Gold Coast. The Para Olympic Games have also been attended by him as a Technical Officer. He treasures a letter of commendation issued to him, and a Plaque presented to him, by the International Para Olympic Committee.
Waidyatilleka had to face a few tricky moments during his career as an International Official. At a World Championships, an American who was favoured to win the sprint event, was disqualified for a false start. He refused to accept the decision and lay stretched out on the track. The matter was referred to the Sri Lankan who talked him into leaving the track as the other events were being hampered. Waidyatilleka recalls that the Athlete, Jon Drummond, was urged by his, fans in the stadium to return to the track. Wadiyatilleka’s powers of persuasion were tested to the hilt. However, he was able to lead the errant Athlete away.
A couple of the other officials came up to him and hugged him for saving their bacon. They were astounded that an official from Sri Lanka tamed a well-known athlete from the mighty USA.
In lighter vein, he says that he was asked many-a-time why he did not proceed to his PhD in Engineering. His stock reply was that he was a ‘P.H.D’ already.
Waidyatilleka laments the drop in Athletics standards in the country in recent times. He is enthused beyond measure by the performances of the current crop of youngsters. He points out that Parami Wasanthi of Maris Stella, the 3000 metres steeplechase champions, has returned the best time in the world among athletes in her age group.