Sports: More than just a game at John Keells

This story is not about a sporting moment or any particular sport. It is the story about a few of its  sportsmen and women who have outperformed in both fields: work and play. Like their other sporting peers, these John Keells people not only relish unforgettable moments at play, they apply sports lessons to their lives – every day.

Head of Business Development, Walkers Tours, Prabath Harsha Kumar played rugby for the Group and now plays competitive badminton. Prabath believes that external forces do not intimidate sportsmen, and therefore having sportsmen who have led the field has helped John Keells Group to be “bold” and be leaders.

“Our guys have the fighting spirit and the killer instinct,” says Prabath. “A new leaf in my life has unfolded owing to badminton. It has improved my fitness enormously. Now I am even more courageous and confident in facing challenges than ever before.”

To be a committed sportsman takes effort and discipline. Prabath claims that a sport is something you “want” to do, and something you believe in and for which you are willing to sacrifice your precious time. “I am at the badminton courts for two hours a day every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.”

Inspired by the passion and enthusiasm amongst his Badminton team mates and their hunger for the game, he defined their commitment as “stupendous”. Sharing a couple more inspirational thoughts, Prabath observed: “To be humble in victory and determined in defeat is a lesson that is etched in my mind. It is important to know that every great player is a student of his or her game, and the game remains the same – whether it is on the field or in the workplace.”

Operations Director, Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Terrence Fernando has been a part of the Group for over 15 years. He started his cricketing journey when he was just two years old! Terrence believes his participation in sports helped him find employment at John Keells. Not having a dream like some teenagers to become a sports star, he “wanted to go beyond sports”.  Terrence was able to extend his experience in sports as the Cricket Coordinator at John Keells Group Sports Club along with a career that he is passionate about in the leisure industry.

John Keells Group gains that extra edge with a secret combination of enthusiastic budding players and experienced stalwarts of yesteryear, setting a game field with discipline, commitment, joy and intensity. Says Terrence, “I humbly disagree with some who say ‘it’s all work and no play at John Keells’. If you look at the history of John Keells stalwarts, I don’t think anyone can say they were busy and had no time for sports.”

While agreeing that there is a definite connection between sports and business, Sri Lanka’s second lady tea auctioneer from John Keells PLC, the Group’s tea broking arm, Kushani Daluwatte observed that she can easily identify a sportsman or woman amongst the staff of an organisation due to their commitment, enthusiasm, and teamwork.

Excelling in both badminton and squash, and captaining the National Squash Team, Kushani strongly believes that sports has helped her build a strong personality, thus enabling her to succeed in a male dominated field such as Sri Lanka’s tea trade.

Just like Terrence, Kushani went beyond playing to coach the next generation of players and made them aspire to reach national level one day. “I feel content to serve society. Especially for women who are shy or restrained due to various beliefs. I want to help them take up a sport, be fit and, more importantly, enjoy the game. After all, a sport has no limitations based on your gender or age; you just need the will to succeed.”

From the Group’s legal team, Sonali de Mel, a lawyer, has been a swimmer since she was five years old. Today she is one of the best swimmers at John Keells. “This may sound weird, but it feels so good to come to work after squad training early in the morning. For me, swimming is a passion. It keeps me physically endowed, and mentally focused and alert,” she commented.

Clocking 15 years in the Group, Sonali has seen John Keells Sports evolve over time. Today there is increased competition.  However, Sonali mentioned that the “fun” element of sports at John Keells has always remained the same. Sonali says, “At John Keells, sports is a shared passion, a bundle of fun uniting its thousands of employees across the Group.”

Those who are aware of the Group’s 140-year history know that sports are second nature to the people of John Keells. In fact, both its current Chairman Susantha Ratnayake and Deputy Chairman Ajit Gunewardene have excelled in many sports, including cricket and rugby. For that matter, one cannot find a single Chairman of John Keells who has not played a sport.

Those at the helm have attained legendary status for leading by example and encouraging sportsmanship on and off the field. Therefore an assertion can safely be made that sports is more than just a game at John Keells, and it will remain so for years to come given that the Group is dotted with sportsmen and women from different corners of the country.