Olcott Schools Sri Lankan Legends and Olcott Schools UAE Legends tussle in Dubai tomorrow

• 15th annual encounter for Bandula Warnapura Memorial trophy 

The  fifteenth annual Colonel Henry Olcott Memorial Cricket Tournament and get-together organised by the Old Boys of Ananda, Nalanda Colombo, Dharmaraja- Kandy, Maliyadeva- Kurunegala, Rahula - Matara, Dharmapala -Pannipitiya, Mahinda- Galle and Dharmasoka- Ambalangoda, in Dubai will be held on 10 February. 

The matches will be played in the Royal Sports Cricket grounds in Ajman, United Arab Emirates from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The cricket tournament was initiated in 2007 with five schools; Ananda, Nalanda, Mahinda, Dharmaraja, and Maliyadeva and since then it has grown from strength to strength. The number of participating schools increased to eight in 2011 with Dharmapala, Dharmasoka, and Rahula, in line with the Olcott Schools Cricket Tournament being conducted in Sri Lanka.

Parallel to the annual Olcott Schools cricket tournament  a T20 cricket match between Olcott Schools Sri Lankan legends and Olcott Schools UAE legends is scheduled to be played in memory of Sri Lanka’s first Cricket Captain Bandula Warnapura the same day, at the same venue.

The legends match is organised by the Olcott Schools Alumni in the UAE in coordination with the Colonel Henry Steele Olcott Memorial Sports Foundation (CHSOMSF) in Sri Lanka. 

All the players for the legends match are above 40 years, while the 1996 Cricket World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga and a few other outstanding  cricketers are also set to participate in the match  for the Olcott Schools Sri Lanka legends team.

Arjuna Ranatunga will be leading the Sri Lankan legends team of Olcott Schools, while Ravi Gunarathne a popular name in the UAE cricketing circles and an old boy of Dharmapala College, will  lead the UAE legends team of Olcott Schools.

A leading logitsic and cargo company with over 40 years of service to Sri Lankans in the Middle East, Ms. Trico International has come forward to support as the main title sponsors of the legends encounter.  Additionally, Singer Sri Lanka, No 1 retailer and Hayes Solar are the other sponsors. 

All Lankans, including the alumni of Olcott Schools and their families in the UAE, eagerly anticipate this annual event. It allows them to reunite and reminisce about their school days, creating cherished memories. Also, it offers a chance for family members to participate in an eventful day of amusement and entertainment, including a women’s match featuring the wives of former Olcott Schools students.

This annual event has won the hearts of all Lankans including Old Boys of Olcott Schools and their families in the UAE, as it is an opportunity to meet and awaken their past memories of school days. It is also an occasion for their family members to enjoy a day filled with fun and entertainments with a children’s match of Old Boys.

The Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UAE, Udaya Indrarathne, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and Northern Emirates Alexi Gunasekara and former Commander of Sri Lanka Army General Mahesh Senanayake will be the Guests of Honour at the event.

In last year’s tournament Ananda College won the championship in the Trophy category. Mahinda won the plate while Dharmasoka was the winner of the Shield category.

Olcott Schools Alumni in the UAE, urge all cricket-loving public to keep the date free and participate in this rare event and see in action past Sri Lanka cricketers including the renowned World Cup Winning captain, Arjuna Ranathunga.  Olcott alumni president in the UAE Ruwan Kahanthan said, “this is a historic event for the Olcott feternity across the world. Col. Henry Olcott Sports Foundation President Rohan Somawansa said, next year the tournament will be held in Sri Lanka and hoped the Olcott alumni would broaden its foundation activities among many other countries as well.