Two top-class sports personalities promoted to DIG

By Shamseer Jaleel

Two leading sporting personalities in the country Lionel Gunathilake and Norman Silva both were promoted as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) after yeoman service for the department for more than three decades.

Lionel, a fine boxer from Sylvester’s College, captained the Kandy school in 1983 and became the best boxer at the Stubb Shield which is the Blue ribbon in the boxing ring in the country. Lionel, who was with the Special Task Force (STF) for more than a decade, will be the deputy to former Royalist Mohamed Latheef. Lionel’s two sons played rugby for Dharmaraja (Dilanka) and Trinity (Saranga). Meanwhile another top-class rugby player, coach and former national selector Norman Silva too was promoted as a DIG. Norman who was educated at Wattala Anthony’s later played for Police SC for over two decades from 1983 to 2002. 

He led the outfit in the mid-90s and played with some top-class players such as Hafeez Marso, Asoka Jayasena, Muruga Jayaratne, Hemantha Yatawara and Rohan Gunaratne are few of them. During this period he was an automatic choice for the national 15s outfit. He was also a national selector of Sri Lanka Rugby giving a yeoman service for the oval shaped ball game.