A Challenge to all Royalists !
With the 100th
Battle of the Blues just one year's hence, it is most appropriate for us to
consider the achievements of the two institutions who have been confronting
each other annually for supremacy in this the "King of Sports". It is
obvious to the impartial observer that the College situated in the
picturesque seaside resort in Mt. Lavinia, surrounded by golden beaches and
palm trees has, unfortunately, completely overshadowed, dominated and
eclipsed the "other place" in every sphere. Of course a few Royalist
"loyalists" do write much interesting fiction in their Match souvenirs,
extolling the achievements of their comrades; poor, misguided individuals
like Prasanna (1976 Souvenir) and "One of us" (1977 Souvenir). One is
baffled that such persons could even be Royalists, considering the fact that
their motto is "Leam or Depart". Why didn't they depart?
One remembers also, the poor editors of the Royalist Souvenir who strive
desperately each year to catch a glimpse of the Thomian Souvenir cover
(which also always eclipses the Royalist one). This only serves to prove the
observation made by one Thomian that they "surely must be suffering from
chronic constipation of ideas and thought!" They did not break this
tradition this year either. One of their numerous Editors or Assistant
Editors (Cassius, who also resides occasionally in a Green Cabin) attempted
to persuade a young Thomian to steal the cover of the Thomian Souvenir. What
desperate tactics! Overshadowed and eclipsed, yet they try valiantly, by
devious methods, to equal us.
Coming back to the "King of Sports" here too we find that the Thomians
"staunch and true" have totally outplayed the school "which first to life
awoke in 1835". The last 3 captains of our National Cricket Team, Michael
Tissera, Buddy Reid and Anura Tennekoon are all loyal sons of their Alma
Mater, and at one time the Ceylon team was a virtual Thomian team. Even
today, a team comprising just eleven of these Thomian cricketing giants
would give even our National side stiff competition for it is not only a
star-studded team but also a well-balanced one; Michael Tissera, Anura
Tennekoon, Duleep Mendis, Mevan Pieris, Ranil Abeynaike, Dennis Chanmugam,
Neil Chanmugam, Dr. Sarath Seneviratne, Ravi Sathasivam, Ajith Jayasekera,
Ranjan Samarasinghe, Aubrey Kuruppu and Lalith Ratnayake. And what about
Barney Reid, Mano Ponniah, Gehan Mendis and Dr. Lareef Idroos who are
bearing the Blue Black and Blue flag aloft in foreign lands?
So my dear Royalists, will you dare to face this magnificent Thomian XI? A
challenge, but I doubt your ability to accept it, for surely S. Thomas' is
the King of the King of Sports!
Esto Perpetua!
PROBUS
An extract from the
Thomian Souvenir of the 99th Battle of the Blues -1978
