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The Colours Awarding Ceremony of Royal College has gone from strength to strength, improving from year to year. The organisers have spared no pains to make this years event surpass in grandeur the events of previous years. Unlike the usual Prize Giving held in every school, the Colours Awarding Ceremony is intended solely to recognise and reward those who toiled for long hours to bring honour and glory to the College in the field of sports.

In its sixth year the Colours Awarding Ceremony is like no other event. It brings together all the current Sportsmen on to one stage to celebrate a year of achievements, while at the same time recognising and honouring the great Sportsmen of the College of yesteryear by calling upon one of them from each sport to give away the Colours.

This year the Ceremony will be held on the 30th of November 2002 from 6.00 p.m. onwards at the Navarangahala. Summa Navaratnam will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. Navaratnam is a College legend in sports who captained the College Rugger Team in 1943, and then went on to Captain the All Ceylon team in 1954.

Giving effect to the slogans "Loyal to Royal" and "Royal Guts and Glory" the Royalists gave of their best to their alma mater and brought forth exceptional results in Sports in the last year. The Royal teams remained unbeaten during the entire year in several sports and brought home many championship trophies, which today adorn the Principal's Office.

The most noteworthy achievement in the last year was the record margin by which The Bradby Shield was won. The First Fifteen Rugger Team sported an unbeaten record this year. We also beat our archrivals St. Thomas' College by a good margin. Royal also pulled off impressive wins to take home The Presidents Trophy after a long lapse of 13 years. The Team's hard work paid off as they toured Australia where too they did very well.

Royalists, as in previous years, dominated the field of racket sport in the likes of Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis. The Tennis Teams in All 5 age groups, The Seniors comprising the under 17 and 19 Teams and the Juniors comprising the under 11, 13 and 15 Teams, were able to put aside the stiff competition from other teams and win all the titles available in all school championships in all age groups. In the Public Schools Tennis Tournament we won both the Senior and Junior Overall championship Trophies. To further prove our dominance the Senior Team won the Gold Medal at The National Schools Games.

The winning did not just stop there in racket sport. The Badminton Team won the All Island Team Championship in the under 16 and 19 Age Groups. They were the overall winners at The Junior National Championships and also received the Gold Medals at the National Schools Games. In Table Tennis we became the champions in the 'A' Division of the under 10,12 and 18 while emerging 'B' Division Champions in the under 10 and 16. To add to the National Schools Games tally, The Table Tennis Team too won the Gold Medal in the Tournament.

If the Royalists were to fight it out, they did in style in the Boxing Ring. The Mohammed Alis and Tysons of Royal put up a good show winning at the Cadet Boxing Championships, Stubs Shield Boxing Meet and T.B. Jayah Boxing Meet.

The Oarsmen of our College took a new stroke in the game inaugurating regattas with The Navy, Moratuwa University, Ananda College and St. Joseph's College and successfully won all the encounters. The Footballers of Royal won the Annual encounter with our archrival St.Thomas' College and brought back both the Senior and Under 16 Trophies. We were also able to win the Albert Edirisinghe trophy beating Mahinda College, Galle.

When speaking of Royal-Thomians its hard for me to leave out this years Mustangs Trophy Limited Overs Cricket Encounter. It was wit absolute excitement that all of us watched, as the game was dead locked and ultimately no winner was found as both Teams ended up with an equal number of runs. This was the first match that ended in a tie in the Mustangs Trophy and as I recall the only Inter-School game that has ended a in tie. Royal also emerged Champions in the Lemonade Six a Side Tournament. The new Cricket season has also begun in style with first innings wins over Dharmapala College Pannipitiya, Isipathana College and Richmond College.

The Volleyball Team also proved their excellence winning in the Circuit Tournament of the under 15,17 and 19 Age Groups. Royal Divers also achieved many feats in the past year winning many tournaments. The Baseball players of our College were able to emerge the champions in the All Island Baseball Tournament in the under 19 age category and runners-up in the under 17 age category.

Royalists may achieve many wins at school level but they don't just stop at that, they take on the world. I personally feel that one of the greatest achievements a sportsman can aspire to, is to represent his country, and at that to represent his country, at a tender age while in school. Well, many Royalists have done exactly that this year! Two Ruggerites R. Jayasundra and L. Dissanayake represented the Country at the Asian Games held in Busan, Korea. Jayasundra also toured with the National Team for the Rugby Asiad held in Bangkok, Thailand. N. Karunaratne represented Sri Lanka at Badminton at The Asian Games in Busan, Korea and also The Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Tennis Player F.C. Emmanuel represented Sri Lanka at The Asian games in Busan, Korea and also. The Davis Cup Tournament held in Daka, Bangladesh.

Karunaratne and Emmanuel are the current National Champions in Badminton and Tennis respectively.

Emmanuel became the youngest ever National Tennis Champion. Another Tennis player H. Godamanne was also a Member of the National Team for The Davis Cup Tournament held in Dhaka,Bangladesh.

Godamanne also established a record by becoming the first Lankan junior to win an ITF Junior Ranking Tournament on foreign soil. C. Dhanawansa represented the Sri Lanka Basketball Team in tournaments held in India. R. Hettige, W.A.S.K. Gunaratne and R. Ekanayake were selected to the Sri Lankan Baseball Team to participate in the Asia Cup baseball Tournament held in Thailand. The up and coming young cricketer G. Ratnayake was awarded the all Island Inter-School best all rounder award for 2002. About thirty odd Royalists represented the Country at junior level in International Tournaments. Space does not permit me to give their names but I wish to acknowledge the honour brought to our College by them.

I would not be doing justice, if I don't mention about a very recent old boy I Jehan Mubarak who has stormed into the Sri Lankan Cricket Team. This is the third Test Cricketer Royal has produced. With the World Cup just around the corner we wish Jehan all the best for the coming year.

In addition to the prowess displayed in physical sports, Royalists proved that they posses the brains too judging by the astounding results of the College Chess Teams. In the S.L.C.S.A. Championships we emerged champions in the under 17 and 19 Age Groups. Our tally in the National School Games was increased when the under 15 and under 19 Chess Teams won the Gold Medal.

Royal in its field of extra-curricular activities boasts of its very well disciplined Cadet Contingent, Cadet Band and Scouts. Since they do not fall into the category of Sports and Games they will not be awarded Colours but will be awarded merit badges for their efforts. Royal is probably the School with the most number of President's Scouts; the number being eleven.

Who will earn for himself the prestigious Royal Crown this year? Well, It's a very well guarded secret. We will know it only at the end of the Ceremony. The Crown is awarded to Sportsmen who have exceptionally excelled in a particular sport and we have several this year.

I am sure the Authorities have a very difficult task in deciding to whom the honour is due.

Finally, we all know that the sportsmen could not have achieved all this glory by themselves alone. Our Principal H.L.B. Gomes has been a strong and keen supporter of Sports, and he together with R.L. Senanayake, Assistant Principal of Co-Curricular Activities and all Teachers-in-Charge of sports guided the sportsmen to their triumphs. It was during Gomes's tenure, supported by the dedicated Old Boys of the RCU that an ultra modern Sports Complex was built for Royal College. This no doubt will facilitate the future Royalists to reach greater heights in Sports.

I am confident, and it is my fervent hope, that Royalists will maintain the high record achieved during the last year and the years before and do their utmost to improve and bring greater glory to our beloved College.

Upendra Walgampaya, Senior Prefect, Royal College

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