Kandy’s Olympic heroes in athletics and boxing – By Hafiz Marikar
The Ceylon Olympic team at the Olympic camp in Richmond Park, London 13th June 1948. (From left) Edward Gray, Albert Perera, Duncan White, John de Saram, Mr. Perera (team manager), George Peiris, Leslie Handunge and Alex Obeysekera
Image source: Sunday Observer
Kandy has produced several Olympic heroes especially in athletics and boxing Here are some of them who have brought honour and fame to their home town with their achievements
DUNCAN WHITE – In the 1948, Wembley Olympics 400 metres hurdles, the most colourful of all track events,there was an obscure youth from a little known island. The stands swelled with cheering spectators, cameras whirred and the air hummed with the voice of famous commentators of the finalist line up.
The loud-speakers blared their names: Two Americans confident of winning, a dour Swede, a swarthy Italian. Then the announcer said “Duncan White” of Ceylon. What notice did anyone take of the lanky youth in the sixth lane?
The pistol ‘cracked’ and the athletes went flat out like greyhounds. The blonde American sped strongly, the Swede also did same, and so did the man from Ceylon. But Duncan White made his super effort,the moment he had been waiting for. Big hearted and with the determination written all over his face he flashed past the Swede to take second place. Thus were Kandy and Ceylon engraved on the sports map of the world.
At Trinity Duncan White won his ‘Lion’ in Athletics. He captained the athletic team. He was also a ruggerite of repute. He broke the Public Schools 220 yards record and won the 120 yards hurdles event and long jump. He also established a 440 yards record and was selected to participate at the first Empire Games held in Australia in 1938. He was the national champion for many years in the following events – 120 yards hurdles, 440 yards hurdles and 400 metres hurdles.
White led the first Ceylon Olympic team to London in 1948 and won the Silver Medal in 400 meters hurdles, the first and only Ceylonese to win a Olympic Medal at that time. He won the 440 yards hurdles at the first Indo-Ceylon contest, smashing the Indian record. He became the British and Irish Universities 440 yards hurdles champion and record holder while at Loughborough College, UK. He also captained the Ceylon team to Commonwealth Games in New Zealand and took the Gold Medal in 440 yards hurdles with a new record.
Duncan White was awarded the MBE for his contribution to sports, The first sportsman in Ceylon to be thus honoured. .
He obtained the Diploma in Physical Education of Loughborough College, UK in 1951 and was appointed Ceylon’s National Athletics Coach in 1958. He left Ceylon subsequently to take up an appointment as Director of Athletics at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
LESLIE DONOVAN PERERA HANDUNGE – The first Sri Lankan to enter an Olympic ring and win about was the second son of Kandy to blaze the Olympic trail. . At school he was known as Perera. He joined Trinity College as a schoolboy from Matale, and was guided on the correct path by the coaches.
One time Director of Physical Education of the Peradeniya University, Leslie Handunge the second son of Kandy to blaze the Olympic trail. He represented Ceylon at the 1948 Olympic Games and was the first Ceylonese to enter an Olympic ring and win an Olympic bout. He led the Ceylon team to the 1952 Olympic Games.
Handunge excelled at Trinity College in four major games – Cricket, Boxing, Rugger and Athletics, and after leaving school, he played inter-club hockey, football and rugger for Kandy Sports Club and Kandy YMCA.
Handunge was a Diploma holder in Physical Education of Loughborough College, UK. He was the first Ceylonese to obtain this Diploma and obtained his Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Springfield, USA. He had to work his way through both these institutions.
He won his first National Title in 1944, the Flyweight category. He won the Best Boxer’s Award at the Intermediate, Meet. Albert Perera Farewell Meet and National Championships. He represented the University of Ceylon at boxing and rugger and was the British and Irish University Bantamweight champion boxer while at Loughborough College.
The Ceylon Olympic team at the Olympic camp in Richmond Park, London 13th June 1948. (From left) Edward Gray, Albert Perera, Duncan White, John de Saram, Mr. Perera (team manager), George Peiris, Leslie Handunge and Alex Obeysekera
Image source: Sunday Observer
MALCOLM BULNER – a product of St. Sylvester’s College, the one and only Kandy product, if not in the world who was selected to represent two different countries at two different Olympic games. In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics he represented Ceylon and was later selected to represent Australia at the following Olympic Games.But was deprived of achieving this rare feat owing to technical reasons. However, he later qualified as a world-class boxing judge and officiated at several boxing meets in Australia. He also boxed for Sri Lanka at the Empire Games in Perth and the Asian Games in Bangkok.
Image source: Sunday Observer ( Malcolm Bulner (left) the winner & Malcolm Bulner (right) in a fight)
He also represented Ceylon at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
Malcolm was the eldest of the famous Bulner brothers and later became an Australian national . Bulner a south paw was the best boxer produced by Derrick Raymond the famous coach . Bulner won several national titles before migrating to Australia. His three brothers Michael, Noel and Clifford too wee good fighters in the lower weight class.
SELLAPPULIYAGE LUCIAN BENEDICT ROSA is a former Sri Lankan long-distance runner. Arguably, the greatest long-distance runner Sri Lanka has produced, and was hailed as one of the finest track stars in Asia. He was once the Chief Cross Country Coach of the University of Wisconsin, Parkside,USA. He represented Sri Lanka at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany. He is best known for running barefooted and winning a 5000 metres and the 10,000 metres double at the 1970 Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand.
His performance in 10,000 metres was also an Asian Games record.At the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1966, he won the bronze medal in both 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. His personal best performance in the 10,000 metres,29:18.0 minutes, still stands as a Sri Lankan national record since 1975. Born in Kandy, Rosa started his athletic career at Roman Catholic School, Ampitiya. Later he joined the Army and continued to pursue athletics. He led the Sri Lankan team in the 1972 Olympics He was in the Ceylon Olympic squad in 1968 but the country sent only a three-man team, which did not include Lucian, to Mexico due to financial difficulties. T
When he took part in Olympics the talk in Kandy was will he run barefooted or will he wear spikes?. Product of one of Kandy’s Roman Catholic Schools, it was only after joining the Army that he began to show his top form.
All the reputed long-distance runners at the time were from Ampitiya, and for a time they were his seniors. . . He joined the first field Regiment of Ceylon Engineers of the Army, and Col.P. D. Ramanayake, a great sports promoter and his Commanding Officer took him in hand. Rosa started winning almost all major awards at AAA and Service Meets. Later he left the Army and joined the Ceylon Transport Board. His 10,000 metres timing was bettered by only five Olympic champions at that time. The 6th Asian Games named him its “Golden Boy”, and Kandy gave him a heroes welcome at a public reception on Bogambara ground.
