N. K. Ratnayake-cricketer, athlete and tennis coach-by Upananda Jayasundera

Source:Dailynews

N.K.Ratnayake, an old boy of Dharmaraja College,Kandy is a fine cricketer, Athlete and a veteran Tennis coach and was the youngest President of the Old Boys Union of Dharmaraja College, Kandy. Popularly known as Tissa Ratnayake to his associates. He is a cricketer with a lot of stamina as he used to bowl for a long spell as a medium pace bowler representing his Alma Mater at all times.

He played under the writer at the victorious ‘Big Match’ of Dharmaraja College against Kingswood College, in the year 1965 by capturing a match bag of  six wickets for his school. He  used to swing the ball both ways. As an Athlete he won the Javelin Throw in School and District level. 

N.K. Ratnayake represented the Central Zone Schools Cricket team under the captaincy of Harindra Dunuwille, a Trinitian. After leaving School he started playing Tennis and after several training programmes at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association, he won a record number of tennis matches at the Grade II Club tennis tournaments.

He won veteran open singles as well as open doubles and mixed doubles in the same tournament at the Garden Club in the nineties. He was selected to attend a training programme organized by the International Tennis Federation (I.T.F.) in Bangkok in the year 1998.

He has a club tennis record of winning five titles  in Singles and doubles, veteran singles   doubles and mixed doubles. He participated in a Tennis Coaching Camp and Coaches from 15 Asian Countries participated.  Presently he is an I.T.F. certificate holder, a Senior Tennis coach and  Tennis Secretary at Garden Club, Kandy. He is the son of Thilak Ratnayake, the former Mayor of Kandy.