Victoria dream venue for golf

By Gamini Senadhira

The Sri Lankan Golf Classic got underway at the picturesque Victoria Golf Club in Digana, Kandy on October 29 under sunny conditions to satisfy the competitors that numbered over 20. Though there were no super stars of the calibre of Tiger Woods, Ernie Else or Grieg Norman to illuminate the Sri Lankan Golf Classic, there were many an earnest golfer in the contest, vying for major honours.

Though this event saw a lesser number of participating countries in the previous years, this year it has increased to 13. The new entries, Australia, Indonesia, France and Switzerland were seen in action with the golfers from Oman, Kuwait, Britain, Qatar, Japan, Singapore, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sri Lanka.

The four-day events' top battle was for the best Nett Stableford score over two rounds.

Competitions for golfers over 50 and under 18 too were on the program.

Popularising golf

The dynamic Director/CEO of the Victoria Golf Club, Priath Fernando, told 'The Sunday Leader' that his sole aim is to popularise golf in Sri Lanka.

"The general notion about golf is that this sport is only for the elite. True, the golf equipment and the membership fees of the three golf clubs in Colombo, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya cost a lot of money but in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Golf Union I am in the process of seeking avenues where any normal person could take up the game sans much dent to their wallets.

Many a Sri Lankan has the natural talent in using a bat and ball. Golf too is similar and if one is absorbed in golf at a tender age, say between 8 and 10 years, with the correct guidance, he can become another Nandasena Perera," said Priath with all seriousness.

"Was Nandasena Perera a rich guy? He was only a caddy who followed and practised the game with keen interest. Today he could be termed even as the best golfer in Asia.

Then how about Anura Rohana, another caddy who now occupies the top rung in the Sri Lankan golf scene," quipped the CEO. He added that his main aim is to get the school children interested in golf from a young age, offering them the facilities required at the Victoria Golf Club, putting them through the proper channels, organising mini golf tournaments and guiding them to the top.

Priath is also positive that Victoria Golf and Country Resort, the most picturesque golf course in Sri Lanka and rated amongst the 100 most beautiful in the world by Golfers' Digest designed by famous golf architect, Donald Steel, will soon be a big boon to the Sri Lanka tourist industry, considering the pleasure and excitement the club can often the tourists.

Renowned golfing family

The Director/CEO, Priath Fernando needs no introduction, especially to the golf circle. He comes from the most renowned golfing family in Sri Lanka though it will be more appropriate if one termed them as the most renowned golfing family in the world.

Fernandos have reigned supreme in the Sri Lanka golf course for three generations beginning from Priyath's grandfather W.D. Fernando. His late father Pin, was the national little holder in 1947, 48, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 61 and in 1962 Pin won his second grand slam. In 1969 the master golfer, Pin, celebrated his birthday, pocketing his 10th national title.

Priath's mother, Pam and sister Tiru were without question the best women golfers that Sri Lanka have yet produced. Pam, in addition to winning the national crown for many years brought her motherland glory and honour by clinching the national title at the age of 54 years and 282 days, thus tattooing her name in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest woman to have won a national title. Tiru, after wearing the crown as the national champion for a number of years, and also competing in England and India capped it all by becoming the very first Asian professional.

Priath though being involved in business activities also adorned the golf course with many excellent performances. He was the runner-up in the Nationals 1974.

With a person of Priath Fernando's calibre at the helm of affairs at the Victoria Golf and Country Resort, one can be rest assured golf in Sri Lanka will be on a higher platform in the very near future.

History of the Victoria Golf and Country Resort

Rajawella Holdings Limited commissioned renowned U.K. based golf course architect, Donald Steel to design the Victoria Golf Course in 1994.

The company acquired the site for The Victoria Golf and Country Resort in 1996 and Mihindu Keerthiratne Associates designed the villa sites and the golfers hotel site around the golf course layout. Work on the course began in January 1997.

The first sales of villa sites took place in 1998 and the golf course opened with a membership of 100 people. The first golf tournament was played in January 1999.

This 517 acre site was part of the National Livestock Development Board and the Mahaberitenne Farm, the latter developing from a 50 year old Dutch farm.

The golf course design and the associated environmental studies were submitted to the authorities and clearance for the project was obtained in 1996. The construction of the infrastructure works, to prepare the villa sites, also commenced along with the golf course construction. Work on the course - began in January 1997. The greens were built to USGA standards. A lot of the finishing was done by hand, to match local characteristics and conditions.

In keeping with the immense natural beauty of the site and its surrounding area, all developments have been carried out on an eco friendly basis with every effort being made to preserve the natural environment of the area. The existing trees and natural rock outcrops have been retained and incorporated into the design of the golf course.

The site and location

The Victoria Golf and Country Resort consists of 517, acres, and is located approximately 20 km from Kandy (the ancient and historic hill capital) and 115 km from Colombo, the present day capital.

It nestles in the Kandyan mountains, an area of breathtaking beauty, and is surrounded by the Victoria Reservoir,

The area has a pleasant climate, with average daily temperatures of 20 C - 28 C and humidity ranging from 69% in January to 85% in November, thus permitting outdoor activities throughout the year.

Rainfall averages 1,300 mm per year, the main rainy periods being the inter monsoonal rains and the northeast monsoon.

With only the mountains as spectators and the Victoria Reservoir as its nearest neighbour, the Victoria Golf and Country Resort provides a new, refreshing concept for a golfing resort. Its location provides golfers with complete seclusion from the bustle of the city, allowing them to become completely absorbed in their game, the only distractions being some of the seventy varieties of birds identified in the area, along with the three types of deer, mongoose, fishing cat and other wildlife, prolific in the region.

The resort shares an 8 km water frontage with the Victoria Reservoir, with the main dam wall visible to the south east. The reservoir is used for hydroelectric power generation and as such, the water level varies considerably over the seasons. A farm owned by the National Livestock Development Board occupies the land bordering the site.

The undulating terrain is particularly suited for a golf course of international standards. The soil is free draining and sandy in nature and has been declared by an internationally reputed golf architect as an ideal medium on which to grow grass, ensuring playing surfaces equal to those found in top-class golf courses worldwide.

The views to the north, east and south from the site across the waters of the reservoir and the site itself are extremely beautiful and the views across the golf course are spectacular. There are many exclusive areas bordering the course. The southern area known as Eagles Ridge and the eastern promontory that runs into the reservoir for a distance of 1.5 kilometers, lend themselves for development as natural residential neigbourhoods within an environmentally sustainable eco-system.

Road network

A road network has been constructed to serve all key areas on the site.

Electricity supply

The existing villa sites are served by a 3 phase power supply.

Water supply

Water supply is provided by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. Up to 220,000 gallons of water can be supplied each day.

Telecommunications

Excellent telecommunications are available through a Dialog GSM tower located on-site. This will be further enhanced by a Lanka Bell service due imminently.

Turf management services

The turf management services at Victoria provide high quality garden designs and maintenance together with lawn establishment services.

The different varieties of turf that are grown include Tifgreen, Tifdwarf, Santa Ana, St.Augustine and Paspalum Vaginatum.

Victoria maintains about two acres of grass nurseries to grow these various varieties of turf and use equipment of the highest quality, such as scarifies, trimmers, bush cutters and mowers, imported from USA.

Victoria offers you and your family, plenty of excitement in addition to year round golf in pleasantly sunny conditions 1500 feet above sea level. You can also go horse riding, bird watching, hiking through nature trails, canoeing, play croquet and boules.

HK sixes under ICC scrutiny

T.M.K. Samat reports

THE cash-rich Hong Kong Cricket Sixes hasn't escaped the scrutiny of the ICC Anti-corruption Unit. The world body has insisted that all its prescribed conditions to prevent match fixing be applied for the US$260,000 on-going Cathay Pacific-Standard Chartered sponsored event.

The Hong Kong Sixes is a privately organized event, though without ICC recognition, as is any Sixes tournament. But that hasn't stopped the world body from treating it like a Test or one-day international match as far as anti-corruption measures are concerned. It has asked organizers of the Hong Kong tournament, essentially a fun event, to implement the gamut of security precautions it made out in the aftermath of the shocking Hansi Cronje confessions. The measures include a ban on the use of mobile phones at the venue, restricted access to players and officials at the ground and dressing rooms, which are guarded by security personnel.

HKCA officials said the ICC had at last year's tournament taken some measures to prevent match fixing, but "not as stringent as this." Surveillance is conducted by more members from the ICC Anti-corruption Unit this year, according to local officials.   Local officials vehemently denied any suggestion that the ICC's actions might have been triggered by suspicion of likely breaches in the past. "We think it is only an extension of the ICC campaign to fight corruption. The event is not ICC sanctioned, but yet it is competed by international teams for big prize monies and it is natural that the ICC should show concern," said HKCA ex-co official, Mark Burns. "A freer atmosphere would've been better, but we don't live in ideal times. Cricket after all has lost its innocence."

A pioneering venture

With much fanfare the first-ever 20-20 limited-overs competition in Sri Lanka, conducted amongst all leading schools, was concluded under lights at the Khettarama Indoor stadium last Sunday when St.Sebastian's College, Moratuwa emerged winners beating St. Joseph's College Colombo by 48 runs. The Moratuwa boys had a scare in the quarter-finals when they tied at 118 runs with, Royal College but winning a toss of the coin enabled Sebs to go through to the semi-finals. However Royalist Navin Dias was named Player of the Tournament.

  Matches were naturally played at helter-skelter pace and there were thrills galore to, unfortunately, a poor turnout of spectators. Maybe, if this pioneering venture was introduced on a more familiar venue such as a centrally located school ground, for instance, the St. Joseph's grounds itself, the response would have been better; just as Wesley College conducts the schools six-a-side tournament on their home ground attended by appreciative crowds. This pioneering tournament was organized by the St. Joseph's Sports Council under Chairman, Brian Obeysekera, a former national cricketer who spared no effort to make it a success. Here is entertainment pure and simple to keep in tune with current times. Purists need not tear their hair about the 'damage to techniques' and so on, this is simply a one-off annual bash.

  When 20-20 was first mooted in England there was much opposition but turned out to be a glorious marketing success with Surrey winning the title. Reportedly, "players took to the souped-up game with just the right blend of seriousness and fun; bowlers and batsmen pitted themselves against each other with the full use of both their bodies and brains. New tricks emerged and traditional techniques were chiseled to perfection".

Exactly what the handful of spectators saw at Khettarama last week-end.

Old Trinitians rugby scrummage
scrums down for the tenth time

By Sharm de Alwis

It was a gathering of the storm. A price of Trinity rugger Lions and a clutch of lesser mortals scrummed down at the 80 Club  on Saturday, 18 October, not to wreak havoc and destruction but to assess Trinity's rugby performance in the  bygone season and to map out strategies for the development of Trinity rugby in the future. It was the tenth AGM of the Old Trinitians' Rugby Scrummage.

The outgoing Chairman, Ravi Balasuriya, said that ten years ago, in 1993, a few Old Trinity ruggerites had the vision to form the Old Trinitians Rugby Scrimmage. He made special mention of Kenneth Boteju. "Dabar' Adhihctty, Udeni Molligoda and past Chairman. Dr. Robert Sourjah. Dr Kenneth Gunawardena, Dr. Douglas Nethsinghe, Dr.Michacl Abeyaratne (So many doctors, Trinity rugger must surely have been ailing) and the late Wilhelm Balthazaar who steered the course to perfection and the principals of Trinity who gave ample support for the smooth functioning of the association.

In the season concluded recently the OTRSC helped Trinity financially, assisted substantially by Dilip Kumar of Sydney towards development of Trinity rugger.

That the Bradby was lost by a whiskering margin is now in the dust heap of recorded history but Trinity rugger emerged as a potent force after the previous year's debacles.

The U17 team coached by Anil Jayasinghe has a glorious scason when they  were never defeated in the inter - school games and  went onto runners - up in the Premier Championships

The most encouraging feature was the performance of the U13 team which had a pool of 80 boys. Two teams were entered for the Central Province Championships and the A team beat the previous year's champions, St Anthony's 56-0 in the finals of the major tournament. The B team best Dharmarajah 46- 0 in the finals of the secound tournament.

It was the expressed though that Trinity rugger is back in track. Mohan Samarakoon, a formidable prop in his day who donned the college and Kandy Sports Club jerseys will be a pivotal figure to move matters along by getting all Trinitians to be rugby orientated. Mohan fills a vacuum left with the exit of may senior prefects of games.

Ravi harked back to his captaincy year of 1977 when Trinity won the Brady and all other matches with handsome margins. He said that he had the luxury of having in his team the captains of boxing, cricket, athletics, basketball and hockey. He lamented that coaches of other sports, today, prevent quality players taking part in rugger because of the risk factor. He made a fervent with that the college authorities would address the issue and revert to past practicc.

The Trinity principal of ten years ago  had mentioned at the inaugural AGM that several schools had their own  gymnasiums and that Trinity lagged behind on that score. A modern gym is the call of the hour.

Jayantha Jayawardene, Trinity rugger Lion and captain of 1961 was elected as the Chairman for the ensuing year.

Jayanth observed that the scrummage had moved at a certain pace until Ravi took it to a higher plain where it is a more effective force to assist Trinity rugger.

He spoke of the old times when Trinity was rugger and rugger was Trinity and promised to take Trinity rugger to the position which is Trinity's by divine right.

The office bearers for the next year are:- Patron - The Principal, Trinity College, Kandy, Chairman - Jayantha Jayawardene, Vice - Chairman - Chris Halangoda , Jayatissa Ratwatte, - Hemaza Hassanally, Committee - Upali Herath , Japana Jayawardena, Imthie Marikkar.

Haris Omar, Ranjit Panabokke , Anura Ratnawardana, Mohan Samarakoon , Sivaji Subramanium, Saliya Udugama, Thushara Weerasuriya.

The principal spoke of the trials and tribulations of rugger vis-a-vis the academics. The rugger team constitutes the Year 13 boys and with the Department of Education re- timing A - level exams a serious threat is posed to rugger who have to drag their feet for half an year.

A cricket coach should
be a watchdog not a bloodhound

By Mahinda Wijesinghe

(Part II)

When cricket was a game, coaching of cricket was a labour of love undertaken usually by former cricketing 'greats', generally, alumni of the particular school. Those respected older generation of cricketers merely handed the baton over to the next with a few words of wisdom until the cancer of money plagued our beloved game. Paid coaches then were rara aves - rare birds!

However, one of the pioneers in organized cricket coaching, as far back as the late 1940's, was the much-respected Major B.J.H.Bahar who established indoor cricket nets at Zahira College, Maradana. It was rudimentary but the first of its kind in Ceylon. Major Bahar who had undergone training at Alf Gover's famous coaching school at Wandsworth in South London, helped his alma mater, Zahira College and other coaches/students whilst charging a nominal sum for the use of nets and lights.

It was no coincidence that during this time the country's cricketing standards were up with the best, naturally, because school cricket was in the safe hands of astute coaches of the calibre of Gerry Gooneratne, John Halangoda (Sr.), Bertie Wijesinha, Herbert Wittachchi, Dr.'Barney' & 'Chippy' Gunasekera, Malcolm Spittel, John Pulle, et al. They were a dedicated lot and may I also add that none possessed a coaching certificate!

Cloned cricketers?

  Today, 'qualified' coaches, steeped mainly in coaching manuals, sprout in the manner of mushrooms after rain. Result? Rubber-stamped cricketers keep tramping off the assembly line, mainly, from private coaching schools much in the manner of clones. Last week I met a former Ceylon player of repute, who had to select junior teams for a district. He said: "It was so difficult to make a decision because they all play alike."

Regimented uniform coaching stifles the emergence of outstanding players, and sadly the National Development Centre of Sri Lanka Cricket appears to be condoning such practices when, a recent news report stated that they have devised a "programme to educate the coaches at all levels from grass roots to national and, to ensure that there is some sort uniformity in coaching throughout the country." Hopefully this programme permits individuals to develop their natural skills otherwise this is a sure recipe to suppress and scupper brilliant players.

What the Don said

 As Don Bradman wrote in his first book 'How to Play Cricket' (1935):

"Please do not think, however, that what I have written must be copied by all and sundry; every cricketer living has his own individuality, and must be allowed to express it...At all times I am a great believer in building up the natural ideas or peculiar gifts of each individual."

I would strongly advocate all coaches to heed these golden words of advice.

It's production not action!

When West Indian Lance Gibbs, the first spinner to capture 300 Test wickets, came to Ceylon in the early sixties he was confronted by a devoted local cricketer. "You know Lance" he said, "your action is chest-on, isn't it?" Replied Gibbs: "Maan, it's not action that matters but production."  Fellow contryman, paceman Malcolm Marshall, too did not have a text-book action but ended up with 376 wickets in 81 Tests.

Or, watch the bizarre bowling action of left-arm spinner Paul Adams of South Africa who has, at the time of writing, played in 42 Tests and captured 129 wickets.

 As Bradman said it is a matter "of building up the natural ideas or peculiar gifts of each individual." Look at Bradman's basic technique: in stance position his bat was between his feet. His bat grip shocked the purists while the back-lift came from the direction of second-slip! Would young Bradman have had a chance with a certified coach? Or, a young Rohan Kanhai who had the ability to sweep sixes while lying flat on his back? As Gibbs said, it is production that matters.

 Being a watchdog

Many a local coach jump the bandwagon to proclaim in public - sometimes supported by the successful boy himself! - that "I coached so and so". To them I say: "Yes, the boy did it despite you but if not for you he would have been much better". The knowledgeable coach is not a sergeant-major and lets him enjoy the game. He respects his student and knows the boy reached the top because of his (the boy's) particular talents. The coach merely guided him when necessary. The principle of being a watch-dog and not a bloodhound. Knowledge, percipient knowledge, and maturity are hallmarks of a successful coach.

Humility of Bradman

In this regard, here is Bradman, the most successful batsman ever, of how he, as a coach, would speak to a student: "Imagine I am chatting to you, not in the role of a dictator, but in the role of a friend, saying quietly, "Playing in this manner has given me the best results. Have you tried that way? If not, it may assist you. Let us talk it over. Perhaps between us your game can be improved."

If nothing else that is humility for you from the greatest phenomenon that ever graced a cricket field.

The Fingara Open Mercantile Bowling Competition

Fingara Town & Country Club is an exclusive club consisting of members from the cream of society and catering to their every recreational need. The latest event on their social calendar is the first ever annual Fingara Open Mercantile Bowling Competition. This prestigious event is billed to provide five power packed days of excitement and entertainment from 10 to 15 November for the sports loving citizens of Sri Lanka.

Other sports facilities available at the club include a wide range of indoor and outdoor games, namely, swimming, badminton, squash, tennis, table tennis, cricket nets, a pool parlour, golf putting etc and complementary recreational facilities from an aerobics centre, a video arcade, sports library, kids play area, an exclusive restaurant and pub complete with a private dining room, a coffee shop, Karaoke bar, a modern gymnasium and extensive banquet facilities. Sports enthusiasts will have the privilege of viewing these facilities otherwise reserved exclusively for members use during the tournament.

The Fingara Club membership categories include life, corporate and individual sports membership with a new concept in memberships that includes a tradable life membership that increases in value as the demand for such an exclusively limited membership increases.

 The Competition - Registration Fees - Rs 1,500.00 per team, A team should consist of three members (Ladies/ Gents), One company is entitled to send in any number of teams,  The competition will commence at 6.00pm on 10 November and conclude at 3.00pm on 15 November when the finals of the competition will be held, For application forms and further details contact Athula - 0712 309472, Sanjeeva - 0712 364518 or Nuwanthi - 0712 364517.