Rarely if ever those behind the scenes in Football in Sri Lanka, which was unfairly tagged the 'poor man’s game' get credit.
And so the story of ‘DIAS Mathmaya’ who has 5 decades---yes, nearly 50 years--of contributions to Football gives us an opportunity to bring to the fore the need for commitment to support what is yet the most played game in our country, although cricket has stolen much of the limelight. Leaders of the caliber of Sugathadasa and Premadasa anchored a love for the game. And a new generation of leaders are now carrying the baton.
Time was when he game was played by a large following. It was first played bare feet and the world governing body of the game later ruled that it be played in boots.
Although cricket and rugby are the one and two ranked sport in the country, the game of football is the most popularly which was underlined by the full houses that watched the recent World Cup at every venue played in Russia and the millions who took in the action on radio and television.
In Sri Lanka, although the game has not reached the higher levels, it has been contested here by many schools and clubs, the popularity which is shown by the record number of clubs vying for the Football Association Cup.
But especially in the 1950s,’60s and ‘70s, inter-school football matches was a frenzy. Schools around the country played it with great zest and interest and the crowds that flocked to see the games were legion. Football in the Municipal Playgrounds which had height limit and not age was another great draw.
When that style of play held sway the man who made it all possible was that energetic sports lover the one and only B.A. Jayasinghe who was the then Municipal Commissioner and whose contributions to sports cannot easily be forgotten.
And while Sri Lanka produced some brilliant footballers who could have held their best against the best known and also administrators who were capable and competent and held prestigious and responsible positions.
The one man whose name readily comes to mind is that of Vernon Manilal Fernando who was the first Sri Lanka administrator to hold the high office of Vice President of AFC and Legal Officer and Executive Member of the world governing body FIFA.
This writer coming from a school that was famous for football St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena and writing about the game from the 1960s vividly remembers the glory days that was football in the 1960s, ‘70s and 80s. An outstanding secretary of the governing body in that era was V.K. Arumugam who had no peer.
In the category of Arumugam can be bracketed a name that was synonymous and famous in football circles JOSEPH TELESPHOR HENRICUS DIAS. DIAS served the Kotte electorate. He was the Chief Executive of the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Football League which was also known as the Nugegoda District League for just two years short of in cricketing parlance a half century.
DIAS it must be stated, although not holding office in the local governing body, in his own obtrusive, unassuming and efficient manner kept the KFL flag flying high, being up with the latest happenings in the game and conducting tournaments and keeping the game flourishing.
He enjoyed a grand innings as secretary and the hard work he did to see to the development and progress of the game is legendary. Accepted that no one is indispensable. But a genuine and hard working personality of the caliber and the likes of DIAS will not be easy to find.
Not only did he show an extraordinary flair for hard work, but also launched many talent spotting aspects and many were the talented footballers who emerged, took to the assiduously and hit the big time.
When he finally quit, members of the Kotte Football League gave him a rousing and moving farewell which was well attended. Every speaker spoke in glowing terms of his ability for hard work and doing things to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.
The likes of DIAS who had the knacked of getting things done will not easily come. DIAS suffered a tragedy when he lost one of his hands while lighting crackers. But that did not deter him from promoting the football the sport he loved best. He was also called ‘DIAS Mathmaya’, after a character had a similar name in a popular Sinhala Teledrama.
DIAS was the first to introduce a Motor Sports Meet at Battaramulla, Diyawane Oya in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Army Motor Sports Committee headed by Major General Ivan Dissanayake in 2001. He was also given a title by the then Army Commander Lionel Ballagala, as Father of the Colombo Super Cross 2001 - Father of Super Cross 2001 for his services to Ranviru Sevana for initiating funds fo the Motor Sports Meet.
While father DIAS was a football fanatic, his son Sujeewa donned St. Joseph’s College colours in rugby captaining the college in 1989 and was a reliable place kicker who kicked points for the school and later sporting Havelock’s colours repeated his kicking feats.
Senior DIG WP K.P P Pathirane was the savior of the football league that comprised Obeysekerapura, Bandaranayapura, Moragasmulla and Madinnagoda. DIAS was also helped during his tenure by OIC R.I. Chandrasiri and I.P. Samarasinghe.
DIAS hails from a very illustrious family that had eight boys and three girls who had sport in their genes. His second brother Carlyle was a daring police officer and gentleman who was also a good footballer and cricketer who played for the police. That he lost his life tragically during the LTTE terror was a great calamity.
But the most illustrious sportsman in the family by a long way was Sylvester. He schooled at Zahira College where from an early age he showed promise of being a fast bowler of great potential.
On leaving school he turned out for many clubs including the Sinhalese Sports Club and Moratuwa Cricket Club and had a stint playing Lancashire League cricket in England. He played the game hard and ended up one of the fastest bowlers produced by the country. In my cricket career I faced him on the Moratuwa mat and can vouch for his fearsome pace and a terrifying bouncer that he packed in his armoury.
He played in the then famous Gopalan Trophy series and also sported the country’s colours. He was picked in the Sri Lanka team to tour England to play the English Counties. But unfortunately for reasons that need not be told the tour was aborted. It put Sri Lanka a near decade back and delayed Sri Lanka cricket from gaining entry into the portals of the International Cricket Council much earlier.
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