Sangakkara and Muralitharan have brought honour and fame to Kandy-by Hafiz Marikar

Source:Dailynews

Kandy has produced many Sri Lanka players in almost every sport whether it is cricket, football, hockey, rugger, netball, basketball, boxing, table tennis, badminton, weightlifting or athletics. Two of its famous sons – Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara – adorned the gentleman’s game of cricket. The cricket loving public of Kandy, management of Kandy District Cricket Association and Central Province Cricket Association wishes to pay gratitude to these two great gentleman cricketers for putting Kandy on the world map with their great performances.

Muralitharan was the first to achieve legendary status after becoming the highest Test wicket taker and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the ICC (International Cricket Council). Sangakkara widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time becomes the second Sri Lankan to be conferred this honour by the ICC. What a coincidence that both these inductees in cricket’s Hall of Fame are proud products of Kandy schools.

Sangakkara has already created history by becoming the first Asian to become President of MCC. His term was extended for another year because of the Covid pandemic. The former Sri Lanka wicket keeper-batsman has already carved a niche as a legend in the sport.

A gentleman par excellence he stands tall and is at the apex of his glorious achievement with the ICC bestowing honours on him in recognition of his remarkable talent.

Born in 1977 in Matale, Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara, grew up in Kandy and hails from a sporting family. His father Shema Sangakara is a keen sportsman, and his mother is Kumari.

Then Kumar’s sister Thushari holds a degree at the University of Peradeniya and his elder brother Vemendra holds a degree at the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. His other sister Saranga, having a fashion degree, was a national tennis champion and she played tennis for the Brown University in the United States.

The youngest in the family, Kumar Sangakkara was an all-round sportsman. He explored his talents in badminton, tennis and swimming during his young days apart from being an outstanding cricketer. He also learned to play the violin. A little known fact is that he bowled medium pace after giving up wicket keeping due to a hip problem.

He entered the national pathway after learning and playing the game for Trinity College in all age groups.

He represented the Kandy District under-19 team at the first ever Inter-District tournament organized by Sri Lanka Cricket. That team was coached by Sunil Fernando.

When he played for school under-15 team, some of his mates were Anurudda Athureliya, Suren Jayasinghe, Mevan Balalle, Praveen Ramanathan, Samantha Dodanwela, Damunupola Mudannayake, Arinda Dharmapala and Balasuriya. The team was captained by Mevan Ballale and coached by Malcolm Perera who later became the Sri Lanka U-17 National Coach and Director of Coaching Sri Lanka Cricket Kumar’s senior team school coaches were Shaw Wilson and late Bertie Wijesinha.

Kumar’s first appearance at National level was in 1996 when he represented the Sri Lanka Under16 team which took part in the Golden Hope International tournament organised by the Malaysian Cricket Association. Seven players that toured Malaysia went on to represent the national team. They were Shantha Kalavitagoda, Kumar Sangakkara, Rangana Herath, Nimesh Perera, Hemantha Botheju, Pradeep Hewage and Chinthaka Jayasinghe. The team was coached by Malcolm Perera and managed by Neville de Alwis, the Warden of S. Thomas’, Mt. Lavinia.

Kumar’s first appearance at club level was when he represented the Kandy Youth Cricket Club team which took part in the Division 1 league Under 23 tournament organised by Sri Lanka Cricket. A Trinity ‘Lion’ in cricket, Senior Prefect and Ryde gold medalist of 1996, he captained Trinity in 1997. That side comprised Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Indika Gunawardena (vice captain), Narendra Ekanayake, Vinjaya Jayasinghe, Rodney Raffayal, Sudhanga Fernando, Suranga Gamage, Suranga Morathota, A. Samarakoon, Dasun

Weeraratne, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Rumesh Karunakaran, Angus Jayasena, Sanjeewa Damunupola, Merza Jumar and Ishan Gammanpila with(POG S. Ariasingham, MIC D. B. Gunaratne and Coach Bernard Perera).