Taking a look at how Kandy sports fared in 2023

Another year has dawned, so let’s take look at sports development in Kandy. Over the years Kandy has established a proud record of having produced some of the top most sportsmen/sportswomen in all fields. Successful sportsmen and sportswomen from Kandy can be proud of their achievements of the bygone year. This was possible due to the keenness and backing they received from their parents, schools, clubs and coaches. Although Kandy has several sports bodies they need to get actively involved at the highest level.

Kandy’s urgent need is a proper ground facility. During the time when the Bogambara Stadium was under the purview of the Municipal Council, sports flourished in Kandy. The respective sports bodies were able to benefit from the ground fees, but today the ground fee is sky high. The sporting fraternity of Kandy hopes that in the New Year the focus of Kandy will be on sports.

RUGBY – Has become the king of local club sports, as the speed and intensity of the game increases and the number of phases of play multiplies. Players tend to become somewhat oblivious to their basic roles in retaining possession and maintaining continuity of the game. Kandy Sports Club has been dominating the domestic rugby scene for nearly three decades. They have won the League, Clifford Cup and the Sevens tournaments for many years, which no other club has done so far. Kandy SC has also fed the national team with many number of players, but today Kandy SC has forgotten the people who helped the club to come up to this level. Most of the schools play the game at the highest level. Some of the notable rugby playing schools in the Central Hills are Trinity, Kingswood the first school to handled the oval shaped ball, , St. Anthony’s, Vidyartha, Dharmaraja, St. Sylvester’s, Sri Rahula and Sri Sumangala earlier knows as St. Paul’s. When it comes to rugby old boys give a big support and sponsors too come in and do their part.

CRICKET – The game of cricket takes pride of place at school and club level. All schools and clubs are doing well. Kandy has several top cricketers. Sill cricket at school and club level are popular games; what they lack is a proper ground.

FOOTBALL – It was at one time the most popular sport in the island. It is known as the common man’s game. Kandy was once a powerhouse in the club scene. Schools continue their football;

thanks to the Kandy Education Department which conducts tournaments over hear.

HOCKEY – This game has become very popular among the clubs and schools. Girls and boys schools too are somewhat on the same level. Club hockey continues, and clubs are doing their best to make a comeback to the game. But due to the lack of proper support to play the game this sport too is experiencing lack of grounds; which are a severe a drawback.

BILLIARDS and SNOOKER – The cue game has taken a nosedive in Kandy. There were no tournaments as in the early years. In the past there were Inter-club matches, but now the enthusiasm has deteriorated. In the early day’s members of the Kings Cue Club, Catholic Club, Lawn Club, Public Services Club used to indulge in the cue sport. The Mahanuwara YMBA is the only place where the game is promoted today. Kandy YMMA, the founder member of Sri Lanka Billiards and Snooker Association who dominated cue sports at one time, has ignored the game during the last few years. The same can be said about the Kandy Garden Club. At The Kandy Club visiting members play the game for fun. Peradeniya Faculty Club at one time took to the game very seriously and the tournaments were a great recreation to many.

SWIMMING – It has caught up from recent times, thanks to schools; especially boys and girls schools have produced several top champion teams, with individual rankings to their name.

BOXING – This sport remains popular among the schools. One time kings of the ring St. Sylvester’s, Trinity -the first school that took to the sport in 1906- is doing well.

Other schools involved in boxing are Peradeniya MMV, Sarasavi Uyana, Dharmaraja, Vidyartha and Kingswood which are all doing well.

NETBALL – Schools in Kandy are doing well in this sport and have taken part in most of the tournaments organized by the governing body. Girls High School, Hillwood, Mahamaya, St Anthonys Convent, Pushpadana, Swarnamali, Hemamali, Kandy Convent, and all the International schools are taking the game seriously; especially CIS, Gateway and Ecole,

ATHLETICS – All schools have athletics in their curriculum and are doing very well in this sport. Every school promotes it in the correct way and has had their annual inter-house athletics meet on a grand scale. They have produced top athletes, both at boys and girls level. They must bring back the marathon race, which was at one time very popular.

TABLE TENNIS – In Kandy this game was once very popular, but all of a sudden, it took a nosedive. There is some hope as there are many schools and clubs who are capable of bringing the game back to its former glory.

BADMINTON – There is somewhat a lack of interest in this sport. Something must be done to lift the game. There are not many coaches and should the schools take the cue, then the game can pick up.

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