The Annual Prize Giving at which Mr.Vijaya Corea, a Senior Old Boy of S.Thomas’ College Mt.Lavinia and presently a Member of the Board of Governors, was Chief Guest had been held in the morning of August 08,2008.

A few Old Boys who had attended the Prize Giving stayed on to be joined by around 35 other Old Boys who trooped in to College by evening. They stayed on for dinner and bedded down in the accommodation provided in the New Sick Room and the Wijewardena Dorm. The New Sick Room had been constructed by the Old Boys at a cost of over Rs.2 Mn. The required Furniture and Equipment too was being supplied by the OBA.

The following morning the Soccer Match between the Present Boys and the Old Boys was worked out as the first event, immediately after breakfast commencing at around 9.15 a.m. The Present Boys won the match 02 Goals to 01. This event had been revived after 05 years. The Chief Organizer was Ashgar Khan who himself had represented the National Schoolboy Team. Tea Shirts, Shorts and other equipment necessary for Soccer were also donated to the School.

The 20 Over Cricket match got under way at about 11.15 am and was concluded only at about 3.30 p.m. Here too the Present Boys won the match by over 100 runs.

Mohamed Cader equalled Sanath Hettiarachchi’s record for the highest number of sixers in a match i.e 05. Despite his gallant face saving effort the Old Boys could not avert defeat. One six clobbered by him crashed through a dining hall window pane and ended up across a dining table. The owners of the vehicles parked in the vicinity immediately pulled their vehicles out of danger and out of range of the marauding Mohamed.

Young Old Boy Lakshman Gunawardena donated the Shield to be presented to the Winners of the Cricket Match.

Ananda Gallearachchi a distinguished Old Boy, forming one of the triumvirate of Old Boys of the 1952 era who has been actively involved in College and OBA activities since the inauguration of the OBA, and a live wire had presented to the School to be retained by the Headmaster a specially prepared Score Book to keep a record of the Cricket Matches for the next 25 years commencing from 2008. Mr.Ananda Gallearachchi who had played in 31 of the previous Cricket Matches was actively involved in the organization and working out of the Cricket Match.

The Awards Ceremony took place in the Dining Hall at lunch time. Certificates were awarded to all the participants of the Cricket Match. Those whose performance was exceptional were awarded Trophies. The awards were given away by Christo Gonawela G Parinathan, R Sandanakrishnan, and V N Thivakaran. Buddika Kurukularatne received an Award being the Oldest Old Boy present on the Occasion. Some of the awards included dinner for 02 at the Buhari Hotel Bandarawela; a weekend for 02 at the Killinochchi Rest House, and two nights stay at the College Sick Room, etc, etc..

The mid afternoon events ended with the Traditional Headmaster’s lunch.
LJ
August 09, 2008