The cup that cheers unites India and Lanka at sports (20 February 1999)
While the Indian national cricket team will be engaged in a Test match with Sri Lanka at the SSC grounds commencing February 23, their vizs-a-vizs in the tea trade back home will be pitted against local counterparts at the grounds next door, the CCC,
20-Feb-1999
20 February 1999
The cup that cheers unites India and Lanka at sports
Marianne Decker
While the Indian national cricket team will be engaged in a Test
match with Sri Lanka at the SSC grounds commencing February 23, their
vizs-a-vizs in the tea trade back home will be pitted against local
counterparts at the grounds next door, the CCC, in the limited over
version of the game.
For the first time this year the Colombo Tea Traders Association
annual sports festival will have an international flavour, with two
teams involved in the same trade from the Indian cities of Calcutta
and Cochin fielding a 50-strong contingent for the four sports
(cricket, tennis, squash and golf) at the fiesta.
The first item on the festival's agenda is the 30-overs limit cricket
match on Tuesday (February 23) morning at the CCC between the Cochin
team and the local Planters' side, while the CTTA team will take on
the Calcutta side in the afternoon. Tennis will also commence on the
23rd morning at the SSC courts while squash will be played at the CCC
the same evening.
Wednesday (February 24) will be a free day for the teams while
Thursday will see the finals of the cricket, tennis and squash.
Friday will be 'tee off' day for the golfers from 7 am.
The local Planters field strong sides for the festival with Vernon
Tissera leading the cricket team which comprises Manoj Kariyapperuma,
Lanil Tennekoon, Denham Madena, Roshan Rafayal, Dayan Madawala,
Harsha Wickremasinghe and Saman Dorenagama. Among their tennis side
led by Dushy Perera is Gihan Perera, Brian Perera, Brian Koelmeyer,
Rohan Abeywardena and Chula de Alwis. The golfers will also prove a
strong outfit in Ken Murray (capt), Vernon Tissera, M. Balendran,
'Nugs' de Silva, G. C. Wickremasinghe, Eraj Guneratne and Sanjay
Wijesinghe.
The CTTA cricketers led by Ken de Alwis also have many former stars
among them like Michael de Zoysa, Ray de Silva, Kapila
Wijegunawardena, Rupanath Wickremaratne, Samantha Dodanwela, Shamal
de Silva, Priyan de Silva, Lalith Ratnayake, Chandana Jayakody and
Rukman Nanayakkara. Their golf team also has many famous names, among
them are Zal Chitty, Neil Chanmugam, Bernard Fonseka, Lalith
Ramanayake, Tyeab Akberally, Michael de Zoysa, Rohan Fernando, Vernon
Caldera and Nirmala Ranasinghe. 'Squashing' it out for them will be
Rohan Fernando (capt), Sanjay Karunaratne, Sriyan Senadhira, Dinesh
Fonseka, Azim Azain and Dinesh Wijewardena. Leading their tennis side
is Sriyan Senadhira (former national champion for many years), Dhayan
Peiris, Dinesh Wijewardena, Sanjay Karunaratne, Sanjay Herath,
Thushara de Silva and Sanjaya Wijewardene.
Former India Test player Ashok Gandotra leads the Calcutta cricketers
who have in their ranks Kiran Desai, N. Mathu, M. Chirmar, m. Newar,
J. Gohain, V. Rampal, D. Singh, R. Mukerjee, S. P. Ray, K. Grewal, A.
Monem and the Ketan Desai's senior and junior. The Cochin cricketers
are led by Ajay Singh and comprises Guarav Ghosh, O.T. Jayachandran,
O. Soman, Ajay Kumar, Abraham Idiculla, Uday Batra, K. K. Thomas,
Sidhart Sashi, Suresh Balaram, Surajit Hazarika, H. Govind, Venkat
Naidu and D. Vohra.
The golfers from Calcutta are led by Kiran Desai and comprise N.
Mathur, Ashok Gandotra, M. Chirimar, J. Gohain. V. Rampal, D. Singh,
Ketan Desai jnr., M. Lal, O. Kaul, V. Krishan and L. Jhingan. The
Cochin team comprises T. K. Madhav, Gaurav Ghosh, Venkat Naidu and
Raghav Lal.
Gaurav Ghosh, K. M. Thomas, Vijay Shankar, Tilak Kalyanpur and
Surajit Hazarika make up the Cochin squash side while V. Rampal, D.
Singh, Ketan Desai jnr., V. Varma, M. Gurubuxani and S. Raha
represent the Calcutta side in the sport.
The tennis teams from India are represented by: R. Kidwai, V. Rampal,
D. Singh, R. Mukerjee, A. Monem and Ketan Desai jnr (Calcutta) and
Tilak Kalyanpur, Sivaramakrishnan, Abraham Idiculla, Surajit Hazarika
and Venkat Naidu (Cochin).
The festival is sponsored by Ceylon Paper Sacks (Edna Group),
Fountain House Group, St. Regis and M. Abdullaly and Company.
Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)