Haji Omar- Rugby great and my dear friend

Twelve years have passed since June 22, 2009 when we lost our dear friend Haji Omar to a massive heart attack.  When I think about my time with Haji, it was like we lost our friend yesterday. On that fateful day, Haji and I had breakfast together at 22 Layards Road, as we often did that year. I had rented his other house, the older house with the entrance on both Layards Road and McLeod Road for a year and half, and we were constantly in and out of each other’s homes.  In fact, we had spoken to each other around 1p.m. on that fateful day and by 3 p.m., he was no longer with us. Tragically, he had fallen from the chair in his office and because the bales of cloth blocking the view into his office room, none of the others at his office realized that he had collapsed and was experiencing a heart attack.

Haji was the consummate gentleman and touched the hearts of so many throughout his life. His wife Linda meant everything to him along with his two daughters, Ayesha and Nadia. I know he had special relationships with so many individuals, mostly stemming from his rugby career, playing for St. Peter’s, CR and FC and Sri Lanka. Haji was unfailingly polite and courteous, opening doors for women, standing up when a woman came into a room and demonstrated remarkable respect to everyone. We learnt a lot from him.

Haji loved to travel and we have done so many trips together, either just the two of us or in a group with a number of friends. Yala, Haputale, Wilpattu, Udawalawe, Nuwara Eliya and numerous beach locations ’Down South’ were a few of our favourite locations. In most of these trips, the wine flowed and food was exceptional. There were many a times when we had a midnight Scotch on the beach or peered at a shape through the bushes assuming it was an elephant when it turned out to a harmless but very startled cow. We used to blame it on those drinks.

Then there was a trip to Yala, which took us 12 hours, as we stopped to enjoy the scenery and various other sights in at least four location, all while wetting our beaks with our favourite adult beverage. As this was in the last stages of the war, the Udawalawe bund road was closed after 6 p.m. and we had to take the Sevanagala Sugar Plantation road.  While on this road, we were stopped by a ‘Gam Batta’ who flashed his torch at us and proceeded to interrogate us to where we were going. Haji, who was driving with me in the passenger seat, responded with “Gedara Yanawa”, meaning we were heading to Panthera Lodge in Kirinda. The Gam Batta then asked us if we could give him a ride.

There were three of us and Haji, given his hospitable nature said, ‘Enna, enna, piti passata paninna] (sure, jump in the back). At this stage, the third member of our travel party, who was completely inebriated sort of lying down in the back seat, was made to move to accommodate the Gam Batta.  All seemed well for a few minutes and then we saw the torch being flashed in the back seat and the rather nervous voice of the Gam Batta exclaiming “Mokadda Mahattaya Heluvallen?” (Sir, why are you naked?). Pat came the answer back from the third member of our trio, in a rather slurred voice, “Ithing check karanna lesi ne” (why, because it is easy for you to check me).

The Gam Batta realized that this was an unconventional bunch to say the least and begged Haji to immediately stop the vehicle. He told us that he would rather walk the remainder of his long journey, braving the elephants of Sevanagala than take on these strange men from Colombo. Haji and I were in hoots of laughter while our companion kept asking what was so amusing. We then stopped a few kilometres away and proceeded to wet our beaks with another drink.

The day before his death, Sunday June 21st, 2009, we all met up at our favourite place, the CR & FC bar to watch the T-20 finals where Sri Lanka was playing Pakistan. It was not to be for Sri Lanka as Shahid Afridi took the game away from us with an unbeaten 54. Whilst our top order fizzled, Sangakkara and Mathews took us to a challenging total but it was still insufficient. By the time the game was over, so was the booze with copious amounts being drunk by all present. Haji was having his customary red wine with loads of ice and I am sure he thought he was drinking Necto or Portello.

Haji’s two daughters Ayesha and Nadia are doing well, both living in the USA, in Pennsylvania and New York respectively. I stay in touch with both of them.

Nizar Haji Omar first represented St. Peters in 1962/63 and went on to play for CR & FC from 1964.  He continued playing for CR for the next 10 years as the most feared loose head prop forward in Sri Lanka. Interestingly, he captained Sri Lanka (1969) before captaining CR (1970) and was the Sri Lankan captain when our country first played in an Asiad (1969/1970). He went on to play in three consecutive Asiads.

He was the youngest President of CR & FC, taking the helm at the age of 36, the youngest President of the SLRFU (38), and eventually was named a Honorary Life Member and Trustee of the CR & FC. He also was the Manager of the “Bowl” winning Sri Lankan rugby team led by Hisham Abdeen at the Hongkong Sevens’ in 1984, which to date is the only team in Sri Lankan Rugby history to win an international trophy outside Sri Lanka. He was a National Selector and Chairman of the National Selection Committee on numerous occasions. His also served on the Appeal Committee of the SLRFU. He was about to be appointed as a Life Member of the SLRFU, but sadly, fate decided otherwise.

Haji, you are still missed and I often think of you and talk about you with our mutual friends. As the adage goes, “Only the good die young” and this was truly meant for you. You were a gem of an individual and I cherish my friendship with you and the time I spent with you to this day. May your soul Rest in Peace.

(Jehan CanagaRetna)