One of the top sports administrators, one time Central Province Rugby Football Union president Lionel Almeida who died eleven years ago was a rugby legend. A product of Royal College he led the rugby and hockey teams and also played cricket for Royal “A” team. He captained the Combined Schools rugby team in 1956 with nine Trinitians against a team which was a virtual All-Ceylon composition; his instructions to ‘run the ball’ helped them to go down fighting.
After leaving school he, took to tea planting when the Europeans held sway. He continued his rugby and turned out for Dimbulla A & CC, Dickoya MCC, Uva Gymkhana Club, Up-Country, CR & FC. and All-Ceylon with distinction. He has played in every position in the three quarter line He operated from the base of the scrum, fly-half, centre three-quarter, wing three-quarter and full back.
He was also a referee and played golf After giving up tea planting took to administration and was the Chairman of Milco and later Chief Executive of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) and also the Tamil Union C & AC.
He was also President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) in 1989 and 1990 of which he was made a life member. He was also a Vice-Patron and Trustee of the Havelock SC.During the JVP insurrection he was able to convince the ARFU to change their decision of shifting the Rugby Asiad to Malaysia and it was held in Colombo as scheduled in October 1990.
One of the best games,he played for CR & FC was when he ran 75 yards against the Dim-Dicks, dummying past Chris Bean, Cameron and Ralph Gauder. Then again in 1959 playing for All Ceylon against the combined strength of Oxford/Cambridge which team had nine Internationals,’ he booted the ball in a splendid attack of today’s lost art of dribbling to touch down under the posts. He was one time president of the Central Province Rugby Football Union and gave his best for the game. This writer, Maurice Perera, Iswan Omar too were in the committee during his presidency.
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