M. Uvais Odayar one of the top sportsmen to come out of Trinity College passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 80 and his Janaza took place the same night at the Katugastota Muslim burial grounds.
Odayar was popularly known as Odi, and was the first to be awarded the AHR Joseph Challenge Cup for All-Round Excellence in sports at Trinity. He won his cricket colors in 1955 when he was an agile youth to have been awarded the fielding prize. Odi captained cricket in 1957, the year they beat S. Thomas’ College and Wesley College, lost to St. Joseph’s College and drew with Royal College and St. Anthony’s College and was also a top ruggerite and athlete. In 1956 he won the athletics colors.
After leaving school he took up planting and gave his best for cricket and rugby and played for most of the up-country clubs. In the history of Bradby Shield the Odayars’ created history where three generations of players represented Trinity. S. A. Odayar – father (1928-30), Uvais Odayar (1955-1957), and sons Ikram Odayar (1984-85) and Riza Odayar (1988-89). Ikram went on to lead the national youth team at the Pan Pacific Rugby Tournament held in Taipei.
He was married to late Fareeda and leaves his children Dilshad, Ikram, Reza, Zavavi, Shaba and grand children.
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