Bertie Ekanayake – The versatile sports personality of Royal Ceylon Air Force
Ekanayake (Third from left in the back row) with the Ceylon Boxing Team that toured India and Pakistan in 1963.
Flight Sergeant Bertie Ekanayake (Clk GD) is considered one of the finest sportsmen ever to be produced by the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF). Ekanayake was an old boy of Zahira College, Colombo. He represented Ceylon in Boxing from 1958 to 1964 and represented Defence Services in rugger, boxing, basketball and soccer. He represented RCyAF in rugger, boxing, basketball, soccer, athletics cricket and hockey.
Bertie Ekanayake was key member of RCyAF boxing team, which won the prestigious ‘Xavier Roche Memorial Challenge Shield’, presented by the ABA Ceylon to the most successful boxing club of the year in 1961.
He represented Ceylon in boxing from 1958 to 1964. He was the FlyWeight champion of Sri Lanka in 1958, 1959 and 1960, Featherweight champion of Sri Lanka in 1961 and 1963, Featherweight champion of Pakistan in 1963, Defence Services champion in 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1964. He was the undisputed RCyAF champion from 1958 to 1963 and the only winner at the Ceylon vs Pakistan contest in Ceylon in 1961 (Pakistan won 6–1). Ekanayake toured with National boxing team to India, Thailand and Pakistan and captained the National boxing team at the First Asian Boxing Championship in Bangkok in 1963. He was selected to represent the country at Rome Olympics in 1960, however an injury prevented him from attending.
In Rugby, he excelled as a fine fullback and represented Air Force from 1959 to 1973. He represented Defence Services from 1959 to 1962, 1965 and 1968. He was a key member of the RCyAF team which became runners-up Clifford Cup in 1965. He was selected for Ceylon trials in 1961 and 1965 and represented Colombo Clubs vs Presidents XV.
Bertie Ekanayake functioned as the Assistant Manager of Ceylon rugger team in 1972. In basketball, he represented Combined Services team at the All-India tournament in 1962.
Flight Sergeant Ekanayake was crowned the first winner of prestigious ‘Varatharasa Trophy’ in 1962, which recognises the best sportsman of the year in the RCyAF. He won the award again in 1963.