(UTV|COLOMBO) – There was an air of nostalgia as a living sporting legend turned 94 while most of his young charges relived their rugby days in a spirit of camaraderie at the CR and FC on Tuesday evening.
Double international Summa Navaratnam’s birthday was aptly chosen as a celebration of team spirit by former Royal College rugby captain Ted Hiran Muttiah capturing the spirit of the Bradby series.
“This gathering is very much about a celebration of team spirit and keeping with the spirit of rugby which is the Bradby Shield. I’ve been invited to be the chief guest of the Bradby Shield second leg (in Colombo on June 15) here. I wanted to share the moment because it is not something I specifically did to become captain of Royal College in 1982. It was by circumstances. From my Under 17 team right up to my Sri Lanka team of 1984 and my Kandy and CR and FC team mates, everybody are here,” said Muttiah who along with his rival Trinity captain of 1982 Byron Fernando will be the chief guests in the two legs of the 75th Bradby Shield series.
Among the array of guests were former Royal, CR and FC and Sri Lanka scrum half Malik Samarawickrama, now a Cabinet Minister in the government, Commandant – Special Task Force of Police, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police M.R. Latiff former Sri Lanka rugby captain C.P. Abeygunawardena, former Sri Lanka rugby stars Jagath Fernando, M.H. Marso, Nihal ‘Viper’ Guneratne, Wimal Epparachchi and Chula Dharmadasa, among others.
“I feel nice. I feel no difference at all. I just carry on my normal life. It’s not the age that counts but I am slowing down. I don’t have the same pace I had one year ago,” said Summa Navaratnam nonchalantly speaking to a prominent online news portal in the isle.
“It brings me back memories when I coached Royal, CR and FC and the National team. I continue coaching the younger boys now at the Summa Navaratnam Royal Junior Rugby Academy,” said Summa recalling how he and Samarawickrama coached Royal for nine years, winning the Bradby eight times.
He recalled with pride scoring the match-winning try in the pre-Bradby era for Royal against Trinity in 1943.
“I always remember beating Trinity in Kandy for the first time ever. I intercepted a pass in our 25 and scored a try which was converted and for the first time we won a match in Kandy. That was the start of the two-match series in 1943 because there was no other school playing rugby. Bradby was to be awarded the next year but three fourth of the Royal team left and got jobs so it was decided to delay Bradby for following year,” recalled Navaratnam who went onto represent Sri Lanka in athletics and rugby during his chequered career.
Muttiah himself had a short yet star-studded career which saw him excel as a utility three quarter for Royal, Kandy SC, CR and FC and Sri Lanka.
He capped a glorious career by becoming the first player to score two tries on his international debut for Sri Lanka in the 1984 Rugby Asiad in Fukuoka, Japan against Malaysia.
“It is an unbelievable honour and huge privilege to be in that capacity (chief guest). It is not just myself. I am representing my team mates. It is not something you to do become Royal College captain. You don’t sit an exam or something. It is something which comes to you. You get a chance to play for Royal and you do your best and as things happen you might be the senior most. For that reason it is a whole bunch of people and rugby is a team game,” said Muttiah, Chief Commerical Officer at South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd., who migrated to Australia in 1984 before returning to the land of his birth last year. (DN)
[alert color=”faebcc” icon=”fa-commenting”]Keeping up to date with breaking news while you are on the move is now simple with UTV Alerts [textmarker color=”8a6d3b”]Type REG UTV and send to 77000[/textmarker] on your Dialog, Airtel, or Hutch mobile connection[/alert]
