Adrian left a deep impression in sports

Adrian Wickremaratne had a special place in hockey. At one time he was Secretary of the Colombo Hockey Association and also the Sri Lanka Hockey Federation. Later this never- say- die sportsman threw his lot in with the Sepaktakraw Association of Sri Lanka and was seen trying his utmost to develop this sport as well.

It was with great sadness that we came to know his untimely death. He was an Old Wesleyite and a much sought out Hockey Umpire. But we in the journalistic field came to know him as the brother-in-law of Observer Sports Editor A. C. de Slva. ‘AC’ as he is known has groomed several sports journalists and I too would like to acknowledge the fact that he had even guided and helped me when we were at Lake House.

Hockey in the Colombo, the Mercantile Sector and in Sri Lanka thrived during his tenure as Hony Secretary where the crop of players and officials were of high caliber and on par with the best in Asia.

Adrian also served the now defunct Sri Lanka Sepaktakraw Federation as its Hony Secretary for a brief period in 1990 and toured Malaysia with the Sri Lanka Sepaktakraw team as manager for the Mas- Utusan- Ttm World Championships. Adrian was instrumental in forming the Amateur Sepaktakraw Association of Sri Lanka in 1990 when the then Sepaktakraw Federation ceased to function. His initiative and untiring efforts largely attributed to the Amateur Sepaktakraw Association being affiliated to the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (ASTAF) and consecutively to the International Sepaktakraw Federation (IDTAF) in 1990 as the controlling body for Sepaktakraw in Sri Lanka.

He fell ill at a time when he was making an effort to promote and develop Sepaktakraw in the provinces and to strengthen the outstation clubs in order to seek affiliation with the Sports Ministry. – May He Rest In Peace

– Rangi Akbar