Gentle giant of Sri Lankan athletics passes away

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Ranjit Weerasena, the gentle giant of Sri Lankan athletics, passed away yesterday at the age of 79 after ailing for some time being partially paralysed and bed-ridden for more than a decade.

Weerasena is best remembered for his kind-heartedness and bonhomie through which he won many friends and melted the hearts of even his bitterest enemies.

Weerasena first came into prominence while still a schoolboy at St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya in 1959 when he won the national discus title and successfully defended it for 10 consecutive years. He held the Sri Lankan record for nine years from 1964-75 and was the undisputed king of discus throws.

He represented his club Ace Athletic Club as a schoolboy in 1956 in an Asian meet where he struck Gold and later his country at several Asian Games.

Weerasena also proved himself a good administrator and at 37 became the youngest President of the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka and served from 1978-80, 1982 and 1996. In 1980 he became the President of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) at the age of 39 and served for two years.

He was also a Council Member of the Asian Athletics Association for nine years (1998 to 2007), President of the Ace Athletic Club for 25 years, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Athletics Association’s Selection Committee and Co-Founder Member and President of the Sri Lanka Veterans Athletics Association.

A renowned interior decorator, Weerasena ran his own business ‘Nico Flowers’ at his residence in Colpetty. He was well-known for having spent his money for athletics and not taking a single cent from it, which is a rare thing in today’s world.

He has even given a helping hand to some of Sri Lanka’s outstanding athletes like S.L.B. Rosa, K.G. Badra and W. Wimaladasa to ensure their success and helped athletes such as Susanthika Jayasinghe and Sriyani Kulawansa to get them off the starting blocks in their respective athletic careers.

For his services to athletics Weerasena received a Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence ‘Kreeda Bhushana’ from former President Maithripala Sirisena at the 2016 Presidential Sports Awards Ceremony held at the BMICH.

“It is important to value an individual on his performances and his importance must be valued when the individual is living, not when he is dead and gone. I have not won such an award before. I felt a great gratitude when I got this award from the President himself,” was Weerasena’s response on receiving the award.

Weerasena is survived by his second wife Asoka Samarawickrema, a businesswoman and former national level netball and hockey player from Kegalle. His first wife Dr. Sumana Weerasena who was a dentist passed away in 2000.

His remains will lie at his residence at 368, Galle Road, Colombo-3 from 8 a.m. today. Funeral arrangements will be notified later.