Famous sportsman and promoter EW Balasuriya was remembered on his tenth death anniversary although no arms giving was held due to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic. Balasuriya known as ‘Bala’ to some while others called him EW was a great lover of sports. He was a man who dedicated his life to the cause of sports promoting.
E.W. was one of the most versatile sportsman, sports benefactor, and philanthropist and above all a gentleman, of the highest caliber who passed off at the age of 92 on April 6 2010. Many are the instances in his illustrious career and public life where he displayed his integrity and honesty which was a shining example of a man living a clean life.
He was educated at Dharmaraja College and later at Ananda College, where he excelled in cricket as a steady and stylish opening batsman and fine close in fielder. After schooling, he came to Kandy and played cricket for Kandy United, Kandy and Central Province.
As a donor, he was unique and unlike most others, he was freely available to all sportsmen at all times. He was one-time secretary of the Central Province Cricket Association and later he hit the top spot when he organized the first Official Test match in Kandy between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Asgiriya Stadium in 1983. He was also in the Executive Committee of the Cricket Board when late Gamini Dissanayake was the president.
In the field of rugby he founded the Kandy Lake Club (in 1962) and later Kandy RFC. EW’s idea of forming this club, was to give the unknown ruggerites a chance, he was a great rugby developer. At the end of the 1973 season, former CPRFU president Dr. K. B. Sangakkara who was well known in the rugby circle at that time, after seeing Kandy SC not doing well requested E. W. to amalgamate Kandy RFC with Kandy SC and play under one banner and thus Kandy SC was formed in 1974.
In 1975 E.W. became the president of Kandy SC for the first time and took the club to the semifinals of the Clifford Cup knockout tournament. His Kandy Lake Club had a top cricket team and played in the domestic tournaments. He also gave a hand in football, hockey and iron sports.
EW has passed away but his memory will remain forever in the minds of all those who knew his qualities. He will not be forgotten by the sports loving public of Kandy.
0 comments:
Post a Comment