The former Lumbini Vidyalaya athlete, Royal College athlete, basketball player, cadet, ruggerite, volleyball player, Colombo Campus ruggerite, Master-in-Charge of Sports, Prefect of Games, Executive Member of the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association and Schools Rugby Association and Deputy Principal of Moratu Vidyalaya Nadith Jayaweera spoke to the Daily News at his residence A / 9, 1/2, Soysa Flats, Moratuwa.
Q :Can you tell something briefly about yourself and your family?
A - My full name is Kithmevan Nadith Jayaweera and I was born on 31st August 1975 and my wife is Jeewa Lakmini, a housewife and we have a daughter and a son. My father is Dayananda Jayaweera who served in the Army Engineers and retired as a Regimental Sergeant Major and my mother is Polwatte Gallage Srimathi Leela Nandanie and she was employed as a clerk at the Assistant Government Agent’s Office. We hail from Anuradhapura.
Q: What is your first school and did you do sports over there?
A - I was admitted to Lumbini Vidyalaya in 1981 and studied up to grade 7. I did athletics and took part in 75, 100, meters and high jump and I was the under eleven champion and represented Colombo South Circuit Meet. I was the champion and I was the under 13 athletic champion too. I did high jump, long jump and 100 meters and I became the school champion and the circuit champion in 1988. I was admitted to Royal College, Colombo and there was no sports meet in 1988 and 1989 due to JVP insurrection. In 1990 I took part in the house meet in under 17 and I won the high jump and at the Colombo South meet I won the high jump and the triple jump. I played for the under 17 volleyball team, basketball and rugger teams and I was a Senior Cadet. I was in Reid House and I did Water Polo Swimming and Chess and I was a member of the rugger second fifteen. In 1992 I played for the under 19 basketball team.
Q: Did you attend camp as a cadet?
A - In 1993 we went to Rantambe and we got 5th place of the Third Battalion and my Sergeant was K. Kaluarachchi and the Cadet Master was Major Dharmaratne. We won the Colombo South Rugger Championship under Yasantha Rajapakse and our coach was Mr. Faizal. I captained the volleyball team too and the Master in charge was K. C. Perera. In 1994 our rugger coach was Maiya Gunasekera and Rajeeva Malalasekara was my captain. Asanka Rodrigo was my team mate. I played rugger and in my first match versus Thurstan I got injured and I missed the Bradby. I played as a wing three quarter.
Q: Did you continue in athletics?
A - Our Master in Charge was Lal Perera and in the inter house meet I was under 20 champion I won the 400, triple and high jump and I set a record in high jump by clearing 1.92 meters. It is still a school record. I was selected to Colombo Campus in 1994 and due to troubles our classes commenced in 1998. I was in the Arts Faculty and I got the highest marks in Political Science in Colombo District. I got a Second Upper in Economics Special.
Q: Did you participate in sports at the campus?
A - I played for the University rugger team in “B” division club level in 1999 and we were the Inter University champions.
Q: What is your employment?
A - I got a teaching appointment at Girls High School, Mt. Lavinia in 2004. I was appointed as the House Master of Green House by the Principal Mrs. Vinitha Perera and we won the championship with 300 points. The following year I was appointed as the MIC Yellow House and they too were champions. In 2007 I trained the athletes for the circuit meet and they were the overall champions and the captain was Carron Delima. The same year we were the Zonal Junior and Senior champions. From there I got a transfer to Prince of Wales’.
Q: Were you in charge of any sports?
A - In 2012 I was appointed as the MIC Second Eleven cricket and in that year we won the Mini Battle with Sebs. In 2013 addition to cricket I was appointed to look into cadeting and the western band. We got third place and qualified for the Herman Louse Trophy and our band were runner up in 2014. In the same year I was appointed as the PoG. Test Player Kusal Mendis played his last year for the College and Sanuka Dulaj bagged 8 awards and the Big Match ended in a draw. The One Dayer was a historic tie. In 2015 our band won the All Island title and we were the under 13 division one champions in cricket, we were the All Island Wushu champions in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2014 and 2015 we were awarded the most number of colours at the Piliyandala Zone with 124 and 88 respectively and we the group champs in rugger. We were promoted from Division One “B” to One “A”.
Q: What are your performances in 2015?
A - In the big match Jayanga Peiris and Hasitha Lanka scored centuries and put on a record partnership and we got selected for the 50 over and T20 tournaments and came up to the semifinals in both formats. Our Rowing team toured Pakistan and we won eight Golds at the dual meet. In athletics we got 16 provincial colours awards and eight national colours. Thilan Nimesh and Vishwa Chathuranga were selected for the Sri Lanka under 19 cricket team and I was transferred as the Deputy Principal of Moratu Vidyalaya in 2016. In the same year in addition I was appointed as the PoG by Principal Hemasiri Atahudage.
Q: What are the performance at Moratu Vidyalaya under your guidance?
A - We were the under 18 division one 15 a side Shield Runner Up and in 2017 under 20 division one Sevens Shield Runner Up, under 20 National Schools Bronze Medalist and under 18 Seven Ball Championship semi finalists. For the first time our Old Boys played in the division two. In chess we are ranked as 4th at the International level. Our first eleven cricket captain Nishan Madushka Fernando toured with the Sri Lanka under 19 team to Malaysia and India and now he is in the under 19 squad for the World Cup. With the blessings of the Principal and the old ruggerites of the school for the first time I organized a colours awards ceremony for ruggerites.
Q: What is your future plans to develop sports at school?
A - I am planning to improve our girls softball team and to commence Rugger and Foot Ball for girls and to improve all other sports existing at school. Presently I am in the Executive Committees of Sri Lanka Schools Cricket and Rugger Associations. I was a Citing Commissioner and a Judge in the Asian Rugby Games 2017.
Q: What is the advice you can give to young sportsmen?
A - First comes discipline then studies and at least one must do a sport. During our time we did sports for enjoyment and now it is leading to professions. Nowadays it is different if you study well with sports there is a big opportunity to come up the ladder.
Note: Nadith can be contacted of 0718142143
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