Football: Gateway and S. Thomas' to initiate tradition

The inaugural football encounter for the Neville De Alwis-Ralph Alles Challenge Trophy will kick-off on January 26 at the Gateway College grounds in Ratmalana. 

Named after two key personalities connected to the two schools, the late Neville De Alwis who served as the Warden of S. Thomas' College from 1983 to 1998. 

Late Ralph Alles commenced his journey a teacher of Royal College and later became the founder Principal of D.S. Senanayake College and later functioned as State Secretary of Education. 

The main aim of this inaugural clash between Sri Lanka's oldest private school and a premier International School - one of the youngest in the island is to join hands to build an excellent platform to students with diverse values, cultures and backgrounds to bond in healthy rivalry and comradeship. 

An Under-14 match will take place prior to the main Under-20 encounter and arrangements are also being made to play a friendly girls' game between the girls of Gateway College and Visakha Vidyalaya. 

This lively and fun-filled event will include a fusion of music and a special collaboration between Western Bands of both schools.