It was the era when mighty India was ruling the world of hockey with the blessings of the President of the then Ceylon Hockey Association (CHA), Sir Donatus Victoria, Walter Jayasuriya (Vice President , CHA), rightly and affectionately known to be the father of Ceylon/Sri Lanka hockey and T.M. Naz Mahamooth (Hony. Secretary, Ceylon HA) a passionate lover of the game, ventured out to Madras in 1955 to witness the 19th National Hockey Championships of India.
Primarily they were to learn how to conduct a major tournament of this magnitude, in order to inaugurate our own Nationals.
Walter and Naz were cordially and warmly welcomed by all the high-ranking officials of the Indian Hockey Federation and even more so later by the officials of the Madras HA who were celebrating the success of the Madras HA team being Joint national champions along with the Combined Services HA.
Walter was also well known as the Manager of the Ceylon team that toured Madras and Bangalore in 1953.
For the record, India won every Olympic ‘gold’ from 1928 to 1956 (not held in 1940 and 1944 because of world war two).
First National Hockey Championships of Ceylon – August 1956
It was the new Federation’s first baby; the most ambitious hockey tournament in Ceylon, which was conducted on the then Navy ground at Galle Face.
Thousands flocked to the venue throughout the tournament to witness the performances of our international and national players and also some outstanding teenage schoolboys who were selected to play for the respective Associations.
The eight Associations affiliated to the Federation were, Mercantile, Colombo, Matale, Kandy, Uva, Jaffna, Government Services and Combined Services (Army, Navy and Air Force).
Wide publicity was given by all newspapers and the Times of Ceylon published a special supplement with photographs of all individual players with larger ones of captains, the Organising Committee and the handsome A.A. Virasingha and Bin Ismail trophies.
The Mercantile team was described ‘as a hard nut to crack’ and were pre-tournament favourites.
The captain was Hugh Aldons who made his international debut against India in 1947. He also played for Ceylon at cricket and was an outstanding wing-three quarter for Ceylon at rugby. There was Vernon G. Prins who made his international debut against India in 1947. He also captained Ceylon at cricket.
Another player Chandra T.A. Schaffter made his national debut on Ceylon’s tour of South India in 1953 and international debut versus Pakistan in 1955. He also represented Ceylon in cricket.
Ivan de Kretser made his national debut on Ceylon’s tour of South India in 1953 and international debut versus Pakistan in 1955. The others were V.S. de Kretser (Jr), national debut on Ceylon’s tour of South India in 1953 and international debut versus Pakistan in 1955, Asoka Perera, B. Labrooy, T.S. Adahan, P. Wright, A. Savill, K. Sampanthan, D.I. Henricus, Rienzie Perera, H.S. Oorloff and M.E. Thornton.
The Colombo team was described as ‘here’s a happy blend’. M.A. Albert was the captain who made his international debut versus the Indian Olympic team in 1948. Brian J. Assey, national debut with the Ceylon tour of South India in 1953 and international debut versus Pakistan in 1955.
A. Nadarajah, national debut with the Ceylon tour of South India in 1953 and international debut versus Pakistan in 1955.
The others in the team were Malcolm Aldons, national debut versus Delhi Wanderers in 1955, Dennis A.B. de Rosayro, national debut versus Delhi Wanderers in 1955, Anton D’Costa, B.L. Peiris, S. Crusz, N.W. Gauder, T. Rajaratnam, W. Gunasagaram, T.A. Buhar, M. Muthcumaroe, Don Bosco and L.P. Rayen.
The Government Services team was described as ‘no lack of experience’ with A. Mylvaganam as captain and toured South India in 1953 and made his international debut versus India in 1947.
There was Leslie Sellayah, international debut as captain versus Afghanistan in 1947 and also captained the team versus India later that year.
Another member Fred Pereira made his international debut versus India in 1947. There was also Brindley Stave who made his national debut with the Ceylon team on a tour of South India in 1953 and international debut versus Pakistan in 1955. Others in the team were Barney Bowen, national debut versus Delhi Wanderers in 1955, Chandi Chanmugam, national debut versus Madras in 1955, C.S. Modder, national debut versus Indian Army Southern Command in 1950, Russel Bartels, S.D. Anthonisz, F. Modder, J.G.I. Wijesinghe, I.T. Packeer Ally, R. Tissaweerasingham, C. Wijeratne and A.M. Jayasekera.
The Kandy team was described as ‘ready to give any team a run’. They were captained by Bertie Dias while the other team members were M. Sameen, D.R. Rajasinham, N.R.L. Alwis, W.B. Adhikaram, M.S. Jumar, J.R.E. Paramsothy, Roy de Silva, P. Thangavaloo, S. Weerasuriya, Derrick Harvie, B.S.G. Sahayam, J.W. Jayasuriya and F. Martin.
The Matale team was described as ‘they head outstation challenge’. The captain was S. Subbiah who made his national debut on Ceylon’s tour of South India in 1953. The other players in the team were Herbert Wijekoon who made his international debut versus Pakistan in 1955, M.H. Fuard, G.H. Chandrasena, R.S. Somasekeram, N. Thilakar, P. Nanayakkara, G.H. Jayatissa, P.S. Hettiarachchi, L.W. Samarakoon, M.S. Musheen, G.H. Rupasinghe, T.S. Salideen and T.S.J. Packeer Ally.
The Uva team was described as ‘speed is their forte’. They were captained by Dr. R. Harry Aldons and the other members were K. Ariyarajah who made his international debut versus India in 1948, A.M. Somapala, Fred Aldons, Pat Williams, M.I.M. Hussain, R. Mahmoor, M.I.M. Laheer, W.D. Dharmadasa, M.F. Jamaldeen, A.C.M. Farouk, K.D. Wickramasena, A.H.M. Lafeer, A. Perampalam M.D.I.L. Marikkar and E.R. Dheerasena.
The Combined Services team was described as ‘Fighting fit’. They were captained by Ernie Kelaart who made his international debut versus India in 1947. They also had Frederick White who made his national debut on a tour of South India in 1953 and international debut versus Pakistan in 1955, M.S. Ismail, Eddie Baptist, V.C. Labrooy, T. Abeysena, L. Winter, D.C. Ingleton, A. Vigneswaram, R, Meynert, E.R. Rode, R. Sam T. Meyers, P. Francis and S. Peter.
The Jaffna team was described as the Dark Horse of the tournament. They had players in the mould of V. Balakrishnan, A. Mahadevan, T. Emmanuel, T. Anandaratnam, K.V. Thanendran, S. Rajasingham, R.A. Radchakan, V. Rajaratnam, Hugh Muller, S. Thevendram, R. Breckenridge, R. Kanageratnam, N.V. Devaraj and S. Balachanmugam.
The outstanding schoolboys who participated were L.P. Rayen, T. Rajaratnam from Colombo, Derrick Harvie from Kandy, R.S. Somasekeran, P.A. Hettiarachchi, G.H. Jayatissa, G.H. Rupesinghe from Matale, A.C.M. Farouk and A.H.M. Lafeer from Uva and V. Rajaratnam from Jaffna.
Anton D’Costa and Don Bosco from Colombo were employed at Heath & Company and Pettah Pharmacy respectively.
Dennis de Rosayro from Colombo, employed at Heath & Company was the only national Cap having represented Ceylon versus the Delhi Wanderers in 1955 as a schoolboy.
Hockey of a very high standard was displayed by most teams. The semi-final between favourites Mercantile and the youthful Colombo was a classic with the favourites Mercantile winning 4-3 after being led 0-3.
Mercantile and Matale were worthy finalists having beaten Colombo and Defence Services in hotly contested semi-finals.
The Navy ground at Galle Face was a sea of heads aided by bus loads of fans from Matale. The Navy band was in attendance and the game of hockey was enhanced with the presence of the Prime Minister, Sir John Kotalawala, as the chief guest, who was also the Patron of the Ceylon Hockey Federation.
Both teams played fast and attacking hockey of the highest level, sharing six goals. It was a treat to watch the teenage half-line of Matale, G.H. Rupasinghe, M.H. Fuard and P.A. Hettarachchi who tirelessly and bravely thwarted the dangerous and crafty moves of seasoned national Caps Hugh Aldons, Vernon Prins, Chandra Schaffter and Ivan de Kretser. Also teenager Somasekeran thrilled the appreciative crowd with a dazzling display of stick-work to score a hat-trick of field goals which was matched by veteran Ceylon Cap Vernon Prins. The end result was the best and no side deserved to lose.
Teams:
Mercantile: Asoka Perera (goal), V.S. de Kretser (R/B), Tony Adahan (L/B), Ivan de Kretser (R/H), Hugh Aldons (captain, C/H), B. Labrooy (L/H), Chandra Schaffter (R/E), Rienzie Perera (R/I), Vernon Prins (C/F), Tony Savill (L/I) and Patrick Wright (L/E).
Matale: M.S. Musheen, S. Subbiah (captain), N. Tilekar, G.H. Rupesinghe, M.H. Fuard, P.A. Hettiarachchi, G.H. Chandrasena, R.W. Samarakoon, Herbert Wijekoon, R.S. Somasekeran and G.H. Jayatissa.
The Selection Committee of Walter Jayasuriya (chairman), Wally de Zylva, L. Sellayah, M.S. Jainudeen and George Mant were present at all matches.
Immediately after the final and before the closing ceremony, the Chairman of the Selection Committee announced that 35 players had been selected and intensive training and coaching programmes were outlined in view of Ceylon’s tour of South India in early 1957.
The team:
Fred White (goal), V.S. de Kretser (R/B), Brindley Stave (left back), Dennis de Rosayro (R/H), Hugh Aldons (C/H-Captain), P.A. Hettiarachchi (L/H), A. Nadarajah (R/E), Ivan de Kretser (R/I), Herbert Wijekoon (C/F), Brian Assey (L/I) and G.H. Jayatissa (L/E).
Reserves: K.A. Jayasinghe (goal), M. Jalaldeen (Back), M.H. Fuard and Derrick Harvie (Halves), M.A. Albert and Rienzie Perera (Forwards).
A. Mylvaganam and Chandra Schaffter who were certainties were not available for selection.
The experienced and respected Organising Committee of Walter Jayasuriya (chairman), E. Wickrematilleke, Wally F de Zylva, T.M.N. Mahamooth, E. Wickramasujriya, C. Gunatileke, S.M.S. Sabreen (Hony Secretary) and Ken Aitken (Hony Treasurer) did a magnificent job making this national event an outstanding success.
Last but certainly not least, was the very high standard of umpiring, which helped the players immensely and was a joy to the hockey loving spectators.
A.V. Virasinghe - International debut as player versus India in 1932. Debut as National Umpire – Ceylon versus Trichopoply United in 1938.
Walter Jayasuriya – National debut in Madras 1955. International debut versus Indian Olympic team 1960
Willie Moses – National debut versus Indian Army Command 1950. International debut versus Indian Olympic team 1960.
Lt. Col. B.R. Heyn – National debut versus Delhi Wanderers 1955. International debut as player versus Afghanistan in 1947 and later same year captained versus India.
Lt. Cdr D.C. Ingleton – International debut versus Pakistan in 1955
E. Van Cuylenburg - Very experienced Umpire