Page 31 - Draft 2

-RANJITH JAYASUNDARA-

All credit goes to the Old Nalandians Sports Club,
which volunteered to organize the first tourna-
ment on 3rd and 4th September 1999 at Camp-
bell Park. All the spade work including the art
work for the Trophies was done by the Old
Nalandian’s Sports Club, leaving the main guide
lines on running the tournament to the rest of the
organizations to follow. The tournament regularly
Some of the events being done are: Government Schools “. being conducted to this date, except during the
current pandemic situation is a great achieve-
A special “bana” preaching program via Zoom The mission of the pioneers was to arrest this ment of the organizational members and the
for old boys and girls living in worldwide and for trend, and drive into the mind of new thinkers the Olcott Foundation. (Office bearers are attending the get together organized by
affiliated organizations on18th August 2021. tremendous contributions that had been made, Mahinda College Galle. (From left D M Darmathilake (Dharma-
and are yet being made, to the indigenous na- The Foundation has grown in strength with the raja), T Suraweera (Rahula), W L Withanage(Dharmapala),
Wide range of publicity through mass media. tional revival and growth in this country by the firm foundation stones laid by the team led by Gamini Swarnapala (Maliyadeva), S B Herath & Udaya
Buddhist schools established by Col. H. S. Olcott Bandula Warnapura - Nalanda ,( Now a Patron) Yatawara (Dharmaraja), Gavesh Ginige (Dharmasoka) and
Nalandian Salinda Rodrigo )
Inter school debate via Zoom and an essay and his movement for the establishment of Bud- who served as President from 1999 to 2008 and
competition. dhist schools, and to emphasize that the Bud- subsequently guided ably by D. M. Dharmatilake- School cricket development
dhist schools have yet to play an important role in Dharmaraja (2008-12), Palitha Gunasekera-
E-magazine as a souvenir to commemorate the present society. Ananda (2013 -15) Jayantha Senaviratna - By introducing a six a side tournament for the
the 25th anniversary. Nalanda (2016-17), Upul Sumathipala - Mahinda present school boys, in 2002, Mahinda college
To map out their strategy they met at the Bloom- (2018-19 ) and Gamini Swarnapala- Maliyadeva Cricket Foundation made an immense contribu-
Olcott Oration at Nalanda College Auditorium field Cricket and Athletic Club in early 1996. At this from 2020 to date. tion to enhance the prestige of the CHSOMSF.
on 17th September 2021. meeting a charter committee was appointed with School boys tournament attracts both parents
Bandula Warnapura (Nalanda) the first Test Palitha Gunasekera - Ananda, Daya Ramanay- and old boys, and the cricket loving public gets
Felicitate the Pioneers and Charter members Captain as the President of the Charter Commit- ake - Dharmapala and Gavesh Ginige- Dhar- an opportunity to witness the cream of school
who established this esteemed organization at a tee, . Palitha Gunasekera (Ananda) as the Secre- mashoka performed excellently as Secretaries boys of leading Buddhist schools in action. The
grand ceremony to be held in Colombo during tary, and Donald Perera (Dharmapala) as the from the inception and S. B. Herath of Dharmaraja socialisation of the cricket teams of the schools
the current year. Treasurer. Rest of the members of the harter appointed as the Secretary from 2018 to date. on the day prior to the tournament, provides a
committee were Jayantha Senaviratne (Nalan- grand opportunity for the youngsters to
A Soft ball cricket tournament for “Silver Jubi- da) , Kumar Weerasuriya (Ananda), D.M. Dhar- As treasurers Donald Perera- Dharmapala, Lal exchange their views and strengthen the bonds
lee Trophy" and family get together. matilake (Dharmaraja), Upul Sumathipala (Ma- Ranasinghe - Dharmashoka, Salinda Rodrigo- of friendship amongst the associated schools, in
hinda), Asoka Pathirana (Maliyadeva) and Daya Nalanda, Gamini Swarnapala - Maliyadeva and addition to awareness about the history and
History of CHSOMSF Ramanayake (Rahula). Thilakasiri Suraweera performed since the incep- development of the sister schools.
tion.
It all started with casual conversations amongst The charter committee concluded that the best
three members of the Service Committee of the way to reach the aims and aspirations was to The Annual Olcott Memorial Cricket tournament
Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka viz; institute an organization for the past cricketers of that moves in rotation amongst the principal
Jayantha Senaviratne (Nalanda), T.K.Palitha and the leading cricket playing Buddhist schools to cities where the Olcott schools situated i.e. Co-
Donald Perera from Dharmapala in mid-1995. get together. A fifteen a side annual cricket tour- lombo, Kandy, Galle, Matara, Kurunegala , Ambal-
The main objectives were to protect social nament of the past cricketers over 40 years of angoda and Pannipitiya , lasting three days, is
values, ethics and traditions of school cricket age of the associated schools was thought of, the only cricket event in the country where the
amongst the Buddhist Schools, since a four with a grand get together and dinner. As those present students, old boys, parents and
decades of administration as government involved were Buddhist schools and the empha- well-wishers of the leading Buddhist schools
schools after the handing over of the former sis was on cricket it was decided to name the assemble, admire, and enjoy the skills of the per-
Buddhist Theosophical Society schools to the organization the “Col. Henry Steele Olcott Memo- formers of different generations in an atmo-
government, under the schools take over act, rial Sports Foundation”. Perpetuation of the sphere full of music, fun, and frolic. Also they (Inauguration of a school cricket tournament 2006. Sarvodaya
and the introduction of inter school cricket com- memory of the American Theosophist who felicitate the legends of sports during their era Founder Dr: A. T. Ariyarathne (Old Mahindian), then Chief Minis-
petitions had witnessed a gradual deterioration revived Buddhist education was upper most in and encourage the younger generation to be a ter of NWP: Athula Wijesinghe (xxxxxxx) , Kurunegala Mayor
Nimal Chandrasiri de Silva (xxxxxx) also in the picture)
of attitudes and interests in the pride of the the minds of the charter members. The annual star in their sports activity.
schools established by Colonel H.S. Olcott, loyalty cricket tournament was to be organized by an old
The Foundation also commenced the distribution
to the alma mater, harmony and brotherhood boys association interested in cricket, in each The Foundation annually fields a team at the of cricket materials to the associated schools to
and the growth of fraternal attitudes amongst school, on a rotation basis. Six-a-side cricket tournament of the Lanka Cav- be used during the school cricket season and
the Buddhist schools, as values no longer aliers and also has an annual cricket fixture with the distribution took place at the conclusion of
required under the new educational set up of the Lanka Cavaliers. the tournament.
“there are no Buddhist Schools, all are national

Col. Henry Steele Olcott Memorial Sports Foundation - 2021