Havelocks etches a century of indelible sportsmanship

One of the oldest sports clubs in the country, sitting formidably in the vicinity of Colombo 5 is the Havelock Sports Club which this year etches a proud one hundred years, since the era in which 27 school boys decided to organise themselves into a club, way back in 1915. Credited with inspiring the genesis of this now giant in rugby , but having been a sports club that fed on the enthusiasm of its members in a wide array of sports, the Havelocks Sports Club was initially conceptualized on enthusiasm and comradeship. In celebrating its century as a sports club that can be commended for spearheading the birth of a sporting arena that championed rugby stalwarts throughout the decades, President Lal Silva enthused that the fundamentals of that enthusiasm and comradeship, still remain the foundation of the Club. “When school boy Roy Joachim brought together his friends, all of who were between 12 to 16 years, it was with a vision to organise themselves into a sports club although there was no constitution, no office bearers, no material and even no ground. That unrelenting leadership and vision is the reason we see the greatness of the Havelock Sports Club today.”

Enthusiasm persisted and a constitution was eventually formulated. President of the Burgher Recreation Club Dr V R Schokman was invited to become the Founding President, while for his leadership traits, Roy was elected the first Honorary Secretary and Treasurer with early committee meetings held regularly at Dawson Road in Havelock Town. Softball cricket, Rugby Football and Association Football was most favoured and by 1949, after World War II, Havelocks became unofficial rugby champions. We were unbeaten Clifford Cup Champions in 1950 and 1951 with our line never crossed. Hockey too was fostered, gaining credence when Havelocks won the Andriesz Shield in 1935 and 1960, the Pioneer Cup in 1950 and 1955 and were the first winners of the Bacon Cup in 1947.

Unveiling the plans for its centenary celebrations, Chairman of the Centenary Celebrations Sub Committee , Bentley Barsenbach states that during the Celebration Week from August 28th to September 6th 2015, the Club will be having a series of events to mark this milestone commencing with a Centenary Club Nite on the 28th, a Sing-along on the 30th, President’s Night on the 01st and the CR vs Havies Rugby encounter on the 02nd. There will also be a Dinner Dance on the 04th at The Kingsbury with the conclusion of the celebrations being a Beer Morning on the 06th. “Given our prowess at various sports especially rugby in the current era, we intend to strengthen that presence, while also ensuring that the Club itself is recognised for the integral role it has played in uplifting the country’s sporting superiority. This is the reason we are also launching our website today, an interactive tool that will enable us to position ourselves strongly in social media as well, while communicating news, events and even our legendary history to not only our members but the general public, clearly and concisely,” explained Silva, who launched the Havelock Sports Club’s website.

The sporting grounds, which houses a state of the art floodlit stadium designed to international standards and the Club House, are features taken for granted in current times. These were actually obtained only in 1921 subsequent to an appeal to the Municipal Council of Colombo, the grounds that had been jointly leased by the Greenlands Sports Club and the YMCA Bambalapitiya which had lost its lease, was given to the Club, although the Municipality did not sanction the construction of a permanent building for the Club House. A club house mounted on wheels was therefore constructed by Messrs. Walker Sons & Company Limited, a structure that stands even today, having withstood the test of time for excellence in workmanship and bearing testimony to the Club’s early beginnings and its vigorous and healthy club life. In 1959, the new Club House was declared open after the Municipality granted a 25 year lease on the ground.

A quote from Past President A. Sivaramakrishnan’s message in the Golden Jubilee Souvenir of 1965, where he states “that one of the most endearing traits that has remained fundamental to the founding tenets is the fact that politics, religion, race, ethnicity or any other division has no place in the Club’s idea of sportsmanship”. We were one of the first clubs, way back in 1923 to ensure that Ceylonese sportsman gained their rightful place in our membership, in a general milieu where Europeans held dominance. Those fundamental values remain ingrained into our Club’s psyche even today, because we believe that sports can be a uniting factor on any platform. It’s not whether anyone wins or loses, it’s how we play the game and that’s what we intend to take to the next century and beyond.