The Iron sport Weightlifting and Bodybuilding should be given maximum support in Kandy in the future, like in the good old days. Today Iron sport is catching up fast Every sport club has iron sports for build up. Even girls are interested in taking to this sport and be recognized. In our country, the Services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Prisons) give a big hand for iron sport.
It is a well-known fact that professional athletes of all kinds use weight training (bodybuilding) to improve their strength and performance in their sport. Not all bodybuilders are good athletes, but most good athletes are bodybuilders to a greater or lesser degree. Every one believes that if you were to examine those elite athletes who possess “staying power” in their sport year after year, the one consistent factor in their preparations would be bodybuilding -- you can call it resistance training or weight training if it makes you feel better.
In the early days this sport was dominated by Kandy. According to its history, Kandy dominated this sport for a long period and produced several weightlifters who brought honour to the motherland and theirs clubs. With these achievements Kandy became the hub for this Ironsport. All this was made possible due to the immense support and helping hand extended by Kandy YMCA, which was backed by the National Olympic Committee and the Sports Ministry. This sport produced several weightlifters who brought honour to their clubs, themselves and the country. So, it is good news to all iron sportsmen as Kandy is all out to give their best support to every school and lend a helping hand for sportsmen to do weight training, which is much needed.
Weightlifting was introduced to Sri Lanka as a sport in 1939 by an Englishman, who was a serviceman, named G.J. P. Hill at a trial contest at the Fort YMCA. This was followed by KandyYMCA, but soon went bankrupt in 1954. Nine years later, in 1963, an organized and focused association was formed by the name Sri Lanka Amateur Weight Lifting and Body Building Association. This association, like in 1939, conducted a trial meet for amateurs in 1963 which was continued until 1974.
The same year, the bodybuilding section of the association broke away and formed the Sri Lanka Amateur Body Building Association, which has since 1977 been called the Sri Lanka Weight Lifting Federation.
In Sri Lanka iron sports came into the limelight in the early 1960s, revived after40 years, thanks largely to S.A. Wijewickrema brothers senior and junior. A. Dharmadasa, Niyaz Majeed, Mahesh Sabaratnam, MauriceWindus, G.V.A. de Croos, WSK Perera and TSJ Packeer Ally among others who dominated the sport. When the sport was revived the first side to tour abroad was made up of G.V.A. de Croos, SA Wijewickrema (Jnr.), Mahesh Sabaratnam, Niyaz Majeed and W.S.K. Perera. The team was managed by J.Ranasinghe, coached by Pakeer Ally and Linne Schoorman went as referee on the tour to China in 1966.
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