Ranjith Colombage’s junior product Lahiru Kumara is the only cricketer from Kandy in the Sri Lanka World Cup squad. He at one time gave his best for the under 19 Sri Lanka youth side, Lahiru Kumara learnt his rudiments at junior level under coach Ranjith Colombage at Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College Kandy.
His full name is Chandradasa Brahammana Ralalage Lahiru Sudesh Kumara, better known as Lahiru Kumara, plays for the national cricket team in all three formats of the game.
He was trained at the junior level at Wariyapola Sri Sumagala College by Ranjith Colombage, while at this school his talent was spotted by two school coaches of St.Anthony’s College and Trintiy College and was invited by the two schools and he joined Trinity College and at this school he polished his cricket. Thanks to Ranijth Colombage for guiding him the correct way to play cricket at junior level
Ranjith Colombage is a talented Junior Cricket coach, who learnt his cricket from Bertie Nillegoda at St. Sylvester’s College.He hails from a sporting family his father Edmund Colombage was a product of St.Thomas’ College Matara was a great cricket follower and gave a big hand for Ranjith in cricket, His late brother Edward, and he were the opening bowlers of the Sylvestrians. Ranjith played for St. Sylvester’s in 1972 and 1973 and he was also a talented hockey player, Footballer and athlete.
At cricket Ranjith was a knowledgeable right arm medium pace bowler and a middle order batsman . When he was in top form in bowling he was picked to represent the Central Province Schools XI led by Jayantha Monnekulame, and his opening bowling partner was Dharmaraja College’s Mahinda Pethiyagoda. They played against the Australian schoolboys team led by Robert Goldin at Asgiriya in 1972, In that team Australians had Graeme Yallop Ray Bright Ian Simpson Graham Matthews Ray Phillips Julian Phillips and the fiery pace trio of, Tom Gillogly.Michael Lang and John Hendrie
He was selected to play hockey for Ceylon schools and led the Kandy district side at the junior and senior nationals. He was also in the Sri Lanka hockey pool. Soon after school Ranjith played cricket for Kandy CC and hockey for Kandy Youth SC and Grasshoppers SC Colombo.
With his coaching knowledge he took up coaching the juniors at St. Sylvester’s, St.Anthony’s College, Wariyapola Sri Sumangala and at present coaching the juniors at St.Benedicts College Ampitiya, and has produced top class players. As the Antonian junior coach he guided them to win the under 13 all island championship fo four consecutive years from1995 to 1998.
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