Sad News – Ajith Abeyratne (1968, Ryde)
One of Kandy’s top sports products Ajith Abeyratne died yesterday aged 75. His funeral will take place in Colombo.
He was a top class sportsman produced by Trinity College, Kandy in the1960s. He played rugby for the school at the age of 15, and besides playing rugby, he performed with distinction in cricket, basketball, tennis and athletics. During his time his name was a household one in sports in Kandy and he holds the record for the fastest century between Trinity and Royal College–100 in 69 minutes off 62 balls in 1968 at Asgiriya.
He led the Trinity College rugby teams in 1967 and 1968 and won colours and the coveted Lion in rugby as well as the Ryde Gold Medal awarded to the best all-round student in 1968. In 1967 in his first year of captaincy in rugby, Ajith Abeyratne’s side beat the star-studded St. Peter’s College led by Rodney Patternott. In that year Trinity were unbeaten rugby champions and the team also won both legs of the Bradby Shield 17-3 and 16-3. At cricket Abeyratne was an all-rounder and won the ‘Bowling Prize’ in1968.
A gentleman to his fingertips Ajith Abeyratne played club rugby for CR and FC as a Number Eight and it did not take long for him to don the Sri Lanka jersey. As a coach Ajith also took the Sri Lanka team to the World Rugby Sevens in Sydney in 1987. In rugby administration Abeyratne was the head selector and and a Consultant of CR & FC for nearly 20 years.
As Coach of CR and FC (1977-78), they were Clifford Cup Finalists and as National Coach (1985-88), Ajith toured Wales, Australia, Hong Kong,Bangkok, Taiwan, Singapore, with Sri Lanka teams. who were runners up in Hong Kong Sevens in 1986 and 1987. He also coached St. Peter’s in 1995, beating Trinity and Isipathana twice in one season.
Hafiz Marikar
