Monday Nov 11, 2024
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Monday Nov 11, 2024
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Founder President and Patron late Bandula Warnapura
Inauguration of a school cricket tournament 2006. Sarvodaya Founder Dr. A.T. Ariyarathne (old Mahindian), then NWP Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe (Maliyadeva) and Kurunegala Mayor Nimal Chandrasiri de Silva (Ananda) are also present
Gamini Swarnapala
It is 25 years since the inaugural of Colonel Henry Steele Olcott Memorial Sports Foundation (CHSOMSF) in Sri Lanka and the Executive Committee of the foundation has made arrangements to celebrate this memorable
milestone mainly through the mass media and on virtual platform during this pandemic period.
Some of the events being held are:
History of CHSOMSF
It all started with casual conversations amongst three members of the Service Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka viz; Jayantha Senaviratne (Nalanda), T.K. Palitha and Donald Perera from Dharmapala in mid-1995.
The main objectives were to protect social values, ethics and traditions of school cricket amongst the Buddhist schools, since four decades of administration as Government schools after the handing over of the former Buddhist Theosophical Society schools to the Government, under the Schools Takeover Act, and the introduction of inter school cricket competitions had witnessed a gradual deterioration of attitudes and interests in the pride of the schools established by Colonel H.S. Olcott, loyalty to the alma mater, harmony and brotherhood and the growth of fraternal attitudes amongst the Buddhist schools, as values no longer required under the new educational set up of “there are no Buddhist schools, all are national government schools”.
The mission of the pioneers was to arrest this trend, and drive into the mind of new thinkers the tremendous contributions that had been made, and are yet being made, to the indigenous national revival and growth in this country by the Buddhist schools established by Col. H. S. Olcott and his movement for the establishment of Buddhist schools, and to emphasise that the Buddhist schools have yet to play an important role in the present society.
To map out their strategy they met at the Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club in early 1996. At this meeting a Charter Committee was appointed with Bandula Warnapura (Nalanda) as the first Test Captain as the President of the Charter Committee, Palitha Gunasekera (Ananda) as the Secretary, and Donald Perera (Dharmapala) as the Treasurer. The rest of the members of the charter committee were Jayantha Senaviratne (Nalanda), Kumar Weerasuriya (Ananda), D.M. Dharmatilake (Dharmaraja), Upul Sumathipala (Mahinda), Asoka Pathirana (Maliyadeva), Daya Ramanayake (Rahula), T.K. Palitha (Darmapala) and Lal Ranasinghe (Darmashoka).
The Charter Committee concluded that the best way to reach the aims and aspirations was to institute an organisation for the past cricketers of the leading cricket playing Buddhist schools to get together. A 15-a-side annual cricket tournament of the past cricketers over 40 years of age of the associated schools was thought of, with a grand get together and dinner.
As those involved were Buddhist schools and the emphasis was on cricket it was decided to name the organisation the ‘Col. Henry Steele Olcott Memorial Sports Foundation’. Perpetuation of the memory of the American theosophist who revived Buddhist education was upper most in the minds of the charter members. The annual cricket tournament was to be organised by an old boys association interested in cricket, in each school, on a rotation basis.
All credit goes to the Old Nalandians Sports Club, which volunteered to organise the first tournament on 3-4 September 1999 at Campbell Park. All the spade work including the art work for the trophies was done by the Old Nalandians’ Sports Club, leaving the main guidelines on running the tournament to the rest of the organisations to follow.
The tournament regularly being conducted to this date except during the current pandemic situation is a great achievement of the organisational members and the Olcott Foundation.
The foundation has grown in strength with the firm foundation stones laid by the team led by Bandula Warnapura – Nalanda who served as President from 1999 to 2008 and subsequently guided ably by D.M. Dharmatilake – Dharmaraja (2008-’12), Palitha Gunasekera – Ananda (2013-’15) Jayantha Senaviratna – Nalanda (2016-’17), Upul Sumathipala – Mahinda (2018-’19) and Gamini Swarnapala – Maliyadeva from 2020 to date.
Palitha Gunasekera – Ananda, Daya Ramanayake – Dharmapala and Gavesh Ginige – Dharmashoka performed excellently as Secretaries from the inception and S.B. Herath of Dharmaraja was appointed as the Secretary from 2018 to date.
As Treasurers Donald Perera – Dharmapala, Lal Ranasinghe – Dharmashoka, Salinda Rodrigo – Nalanda, Gamini Swarnapala – Maliyadeva and Thilakasiri Suraweera performed since the inception.
The Annual Olcott Memorial Cricket tournament that moves in rotation amongst the principal cities where Olcott schools are situated i.e. Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Matara, Kurunegala, Ambalangoda and Pannipitiya, lasting three days, is the only cricket event in the country where the present students, old boys, parents and well-wishers of the leading Buddhist schools assemble, admire and enjoy the skills of the performers of different generations in an atmosphere full of music, fun, and frolic. Also they felicitate the legends of sports during their era and encourage the younger generation to be a star in their sports activity.
The foundation annually fields a team at the six-a-side cricket tournament of the Lanka Cavaliers and also has an annual cricket fixture with the Lanka Cavaliers.
School cricket development
By introducing a six-a-side tournament for the present school boys, in 2002, Mahinda College Cricket Foundation made an immense contribution to enhance the prestige of the CHSOMSF. The school boys’ tournament attracts both parents and old boys and the cricket loving public gets an opportunity to witness the cream of school boys of leading Buddhist schools in action.
The socialisation of the cricket teams of the schools on the day prior to the tournament provides a grand opportunity for the youngsters to exchange their views and strengthen the bonds of friendship amongst the associated schools, in addition to awareness about the history and development of the sister schools.
The foundation also commenced the distribution of cricket materials to the associated schools to be used during the school cricket season and the distribution took place at the conclusion of the tournament.
Relay carnival
Another sports event of much significance is the inter school relay carnival for the participation of the athletes of the Olcott Schools. the Old Boys Association of Rahula College, Matara organised the first relay carnival in 2016 at the Matara esplanade with great distinction. This was followed by Dharmaraja in 2017 at the Bogambara stadium in Kandy. The third festival was organised by Maliyadeva and held at the Welagedara stadium, Kurunegala in 2018.
Badminton and table tennis
A badminton tournament was initiated by the Old Boys Association of Rahula College and a table tennis tournament by Ananda Old Boys. While the desire is there for organising tournaments for more sports activities, it is necessary to consider the financial constraints of the associated school organisations, if the tournaments are to be organised in rotation by all the schools.
Quiz competition and leadership programs
Charter member Mr. Kumar Weerasuriya has been organising a quiz competition which is open for about 20 schools, both girls and boys, for the five years from 2014 up to the year 2018. In 2018, Jaffna Hindu College and Zahira College were invited to participate as a gesture of national reconciliation. Weerasuriya on his own has managed sponsorship, publicity, the award of trophies and the presentation of handsome cash gifts. It is a full day’s program with lots of activities in free of charges to all participants. We are grateful to Dhammika Kalapuge, the main sponsor of the event.
The quiz competition is a deviation from sports activities to an academic area. It has become very popular amongst the schools and has enriched the prestige of the CHSOMSF.
In addition, in January 2018 CHSOMSF organised a leadership program for five A/Level students from each of the eight Buddhists Olcott schools. It was a two-day residential program conducted by a professional leadership trainer Denuka Perera.
This program to be commenced soon after the situation of the country becomes normal after the pandemic.
Affiliated bodies
What gives great satisfaction is that the old boys of Olcott Schools in the United Arab Emirates have been organising an Olcott Memorial Cricket Tournament annually since 2007. It is a fun-filled cricket festival which is an annual event in the calendar of Sri Lankan activities in the UAE. It is a cricket carnival open to children and families of the leading eight Olcott schools members living in the UAE.
Foundation
The souvenir that is being published with every cricket tournament by the foundation is a good source of information about the history of schools in the foundation, about Col H. S. Olcott, the revival of Buddhist education, the Buddhist Theosophical Society, etc. The schools can make use of this souvenir to give publicity to their achievements in the field of cricket.
The tournament also provides a good opportunity for the organising School to market the tournament and attract sponsors who will contribute for the development of cricket in each school.
The foundation has achieved the intended objectives of greater affiliation and the growth of brotherly feelings amongst the Olcott Schools to the extent that even the competitive inter school matches are looked forward to as friendly games, not concerned about the outcome. It is a healthy sign that at least the Olcott Schools play their inter school matches with each other with the spirit of cricket uppermost in their minds.
Old boys’ associations are taking more interest in providing comfortable accommodation and improving the quality of facilities that is served to the visiting teams. There is a great urge to raise the standard of cricket of the schools that are at a lower level in the Sri Lanka School Cricket Association tournament table.
Olcott memorial commemorations are now an event in the calendar of the Olcott schools and students are well acquainted with the contributions Olcott made for the revival of Buddhism and for the education of Buddhist children in Sri Lanka. The unity of the Buddhist schools has been strengthened and more interaction facilitated.
Registered with NGO Secretariat
On 5 September 2019 the CHSOMSF was registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation under the Ministry of National Integration. The number assigned is L 171804. T. Suraweera of Rahula College has to be complimented for his efforts in getting the foundation registered.
[D.M. Dharmatilake is Charter member/Past President (2008-2012). Gamini Swarnapala is President (2020 to present).]
