Independence Day 1949 in Black-and-White Video
presented by Anusha Palpita … Aug 7, 2016
NOTE
- marathon runners running overnight brought a message … with “four of Ceylon’s champion athletes representing the four communities” completing this stage by handing the message to four young girls representing the four communities viz Tamil, Sinhalese, Burgher and Muslim
- The message was inscribed in Englsih, Sinhalese, Tamil and Arabic ….. YES, Arabic
A THOUGHT: who were the four “champion athletes”? were one or two part of the Ceylon squad at the London Olympics the previous year? was one Duncan White who fared so well?
Left to right: Edward Gray, Albert Perera, Duncan White, John De Saram, Mr. Perera (Team Manager), George Peiris, Leslie Handunge and Alex Obeysekere
Ceylon Olympic Team at the Olympic camp in Richmond Park, London ~ 13th June 1948
A DISMAL THOUGHT: …. what great expectations then! What a mess our overlapping genrations have made of the prospective opportunties?
