Archives

It was on a sultry evening in April 1986 that the late Darrel Anderiesz then Marketing Director of Pfizer, Darrel Perera, Marketing Manager of Mackwood Winthrop and Nimal Dias Jayasinha Director, Hoechst (Ceylon) met at the Otters Aquatic Club to discuss the possibilities of creating an organisation to promote and foster the cause of the employees involved in Medical Marketing activities in Sri Lanka. The slated object explicitly was to develop and foster camaraderie and togetherness amongst a category of workers engrossed in aggressive competition.

The pioneering triumvirate having enlisted the support of Pharmaceutical Marketing stalwarts such as the late Ratnasiri Fernando, Winston Abeynaike, Maurice Wambeek, Trgvor Brown and Mahanama Dodampegama adopted a constitution and evolved a dynamic plan of action which have certainly helped the organisation known as the Pharma Promoters Association to establish itself towards healthy and necessary bon-homie and friendship with a co-operative disposition over the last 16 years. The first event staged by the newly formed Body in November 1986 was a One-Day Six-a-Side Cricket Tournament fielding 12 Teams which Trophy was annexed by Glaxo Ceylon Ltd.

Thereafter the PPA impressed upon its available talent and expertise by expanding such Six-a-Side Cricket Tournament to include all Pharmaceutical Companies which had enlisted themselves as members. Inasmuch as the cricket dished out over the years have been scintillating the expressions of friendship so created have been refreshing and re-assuring.

The Cricket Tournament before long was developed into a 2-Day Sports Festival including Netball and other Field Events and also Indoor Sports such as Table Tennis, Carrom etc which saw the participation of the Pharmaceutical Ladies thus adding much colour and interest to the event.

Names that have been outstanding at the Festival over the years have been Ishak Sahabdeen an International Double Blue at Cricket and Hockey, Indika Batuwitage, Russel Rajaratnam and Rienzie Perera a former Sri Lanka Schools Captain. The Cricketing Celebrity of Sri Lanka, Gamini Goonasena gave his professional expertise as the Adjudicator for well over 10 years until his migration down-under at which time the Cricketing Scribe Mahinda Wijesinha and Wicket Keeping legend Dr. H. I. K. Fernando took over such mantle. It is to the credit of the calibre and the style of the Tournament that the doyen of Sri Lankan umpiring K. T. Francies has always endeavoured to find time to witness the event whilst also rendering advice and guidance.

If the leading lights of the Industry such as Chris Piachaud, Alex Geissel, Joanne Wallthall, Willie Weerasekara and Chulika de Silva sponsored and supported the activities of the Association over the years, the participating members of the respective Companies through their commitment and dedication have helped to establish the Pharma Promoters Association and its Sports Festival as a rousing and much sought after annual event.

This year the PPA Sports Festival is schedule to be held on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November, 2002 at the BRC Grounds and this event is organized by Ishak Shabdeen. Evidently the tenacious fibre and the vibrant mettle of the Pharma Promoter can only further enrich such event over the years.

Nimal Dias Jayasinha

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager