Running into record books

The achievements of the little – known, but widely admired athletes from Walala A. Ratnayake Central College Menikhinna deserve to be written in gold. Their feats at the recently concluded schools relay championships held at the Sugathadasa stadium defy belief.

This year’s championship was the fourth edition, after it was started in 2001 and continued in 2002 and 2003. The athletes from the school have won the overall championship for boys and girls on all four occasions. This year they won five of the six shields on offer after, missing out on the girls under 16 events.

At the recent event, the A. Ratnayake athletes were even more successful than in previous years. They won the boys’ championship beating St. Benedicts by a massive 66 points with Joseph Vaz a distant third. The girls were even more devastating, beating their rivals from Sumana Balika Ratnapura by 83 points, while Anuradhapura Central finished third. Five of the seven records broken at the meet felt to the credit of these unhonoured and unsung athletes.

A. Ratnayake did not participate in under 12, 13 and 14 events as they start classes only from grade five. There is a sports school at the college and the central provincial council provides the funds for the upkeep of this school as well as the one at Henegama Central. The other twenty schools are run by the Ministry of Education. The selectees to the sports school come from places as distant as Laggala, Rattota, Dehiattakandiya, Hasalaka and Udu Dumbara.

The process of selection, which is a very interesting one, consists of 10 tests and, in addition, written and oral parts. The tests arte in the 60metres, 800metres, standing high jump, standing long jump, discuss throw, putt shot, javelin, medicine ball throw, shuttle run and 12 minutes non-stop running. The height of the student is also taken into consideration. These magnificent achievements cannot be put down to the availability of facilities.

There is only a 220metre track but the athletes have to display their skills on a 440 track. All the athletes are housed in dormitories, and the sports school receives the princely sum of Rs. 1250 per month per student. This works out to about Rs. 35-40 for students’ daily meals. Training is done in two sessions – 5.45 am to 7.15 and 3.30 to 6.00 p.m. An athlete burns up around 4000 calories a day in training, but the calorie input is around 2500.

One of the plus points is the methodical training the athletes receive from a five man panel of coaches headed by Susantha Fernando. Athula Jayawardena is the chief instructor and the general factotum, while Duminda Bandara, Yamuna Ratnayake and Evonne Abeywickrema complete the coaching panel. Methodical training by this panel and the desperate Keenness of the athletes are factors in their success.

The girls quartet that established records in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays comprised P.G. L.S. Bandara, J.G. Chamalie, P.B. Indeewari and P.G.D. Menike. The under 18 team of M.K. Seelaratne, K.G.B. Harshani, P.A. Madushani, R.M.S. Ratnayake/Shanika Ekanayake set a new work in the 4x400 event. Not wanting to be left behind, the under 18 boys also made a new mark in the 4x800 event. J.E. Weerasinghe, A.M. Gunaratne, R.R.U. Lakmal and U.D.M. Karunaratne formed the team.

The Kandy Times spoke to the games captain J.G. Chamalie and her deputy PGLS Bandara. The former hails from Talatu Oya and the latter form Matale. Chamalie has won gold medals in all her six events from 100 to 1500metres at inter school level. She also won the 800metres at the All island meet and placed third in the 400.

PGLS Bandara specialises in the sprints and has won gold in five events at all island meets. Last May, at the schools trials held in Colombo she won the 100 and the 200 and came second in the 400. A lad from Hasalaka, K.D. Abeysinghe, a middle distance runner, came first in the Maldivian Junior championships last year.

Those oft – quoted lines from Thomas Gray’s elegy come to mind when one ponders the future of these talented, dedicated athletes. Two athletes from this school Manoj Pushpakumara (800 metres) and J.M. Sifrath (1500 metres and 800) represented Sri Lanka at SAF and Grand Prix meets. N.K. Venura, a sprinter, who excelled at the Junior Nationals and John Tarbat meets, ran for Sri Lanka at a championship in Bangkok. Sadly, all three of them are not employed. They cannot pursue careers in athletics.

The same fate awaits the present crop of athletes from A. Ratnayake. The summit of their ambition is a place in a college of education. It is upto the Ministry of Sports to stop the drain of talent and to bring some sunshine into the lives of these talented athletes.

Finally, a word about the Principal Mr. H.M. Navaratne who is as keen as mustard and responded readily when contacted. The school is also beholden to an old boy Mahinda Kalpage whose philanthropy towards the school is much appreciated.