HIGH PERFORMANCE: THE MAGIC YEARS
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A. C. M. Laffir wins Ceylon Schools Hockey Umpires Colors |
With WW
II coming to an end in 1945, S Thomas’ College Mt Lavinia recommences with all
the temporary units coming back to Mt Lavinia, but for the one at Gurutalawa.
Dr. R.
L. Hayman and Rev. Fr. A. J. Foster is permitted to run a separate branch of
the school, in Gurutalawa, as a boarding school in line with those in the UK
then.
The 55
pioneer students and the teaching staff of 8 did leave for Mt Lavinia with
Colombo getting back to normal. It was difficult to retain the teachers with
provisional living conditions and on a meager remuneration in a remote location
like Gurutalawa.
Dr.
Hayman by now had arranged for students who entered the University to help in
teaching at Gurutalawa. A building program for a school block with permanent
dormitories and classrooms was underway. Some students who had completed
university education were absorbed to the teaching staff and into the school
administration. As they were old-boys, they were devoted and committed in their
undertakings. Mr. A. K. Chapman, Mr. F. L. Amerasinghe, Mr. O. E. J. de Soyza, Selwyn Gunawardane were some who joined the teaching staff while Mr. Benjamin Fernando and Mr.
John Marasinghe joined the office administration.
By 1948
the college is on a firm footing with the number of students close to a
hundred. Recreation and sports for the boarders required a full-time staffer.
It was Fr. Foster and Dr. Hayman who had been coaching in sports all these
years. Again the obvious option was to source a senior student who excelled in
sports in college and offer him the position on a permanent basis. Dr. Hayman
and Fr. Foster by now had handpicked their selection in Mr. A. C. M. Laffir a
boy who performed well in Football and Squash Racket Game for the position of
Prefect of Games at Gurutalawa.
A. C. M.
Laffir was born on the 28th October 1932 to parents O. L. A. Cader of Shady Grove
Estate, Rambukpitiya in Nawalapitiya. A family of five boys and two girls, all the
five boys attended St. Patrick's College, Jaffna. His Grand Uncles had attended
Trinity College Kandy and they all excelled in sports and were Athletics
Colours holders. Sports, therefore, was family legacy.
Young
Laffir completing his primary and middle school education in Jaffna is enrolled
as a student at S Thomas’ Gurutalawa in the year 1945. He was in the first set
of students to join the new school branch of Mt Lavinia, situated in Gurutalawa.
While at
school he was an average student in academia but an exceptional one in the
playing field. A star-class football player; an "Ambipedal", one who
could use both legs equally good in kicking and passing. This is not as common
a word as "Ambidextrous", because outside of football, no one really
cares whether a kid can use both feet to an equally overwhelming effect. Hockey
was his other favorite game and he played in a leading position in both these
field games and obtained College Colours.
He did
not fancy cricket and thought it was a slow-moving game with less action. His
other favored games were the racket games; Squash-Rackets and Badminton. Squash
was by now established in a big way in Gurutalawa and the only others who
played Squash then were the planters in Darrawela and Radella and the Tri
Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) in Diyatalawa. Many boys passing out took to
tea planting as a profession and these old boys met with the present boys in an
annual Squash tournament played at Radella or at College on an annual
encounter. Laffir was a champion Squash player, and it may be his love for the
game that led to a passion for planting as a profession after his S.S.C
Examination in 1951.
It was
Rev. Canon A J Foster who was coaching the boys in sports during this time.
Young Laffir may have seen a mentor and a trainer in Rev. Fr. Foster. This
could be why he could not resist Fr. Foster’s humble request for young Laffir
to join the college staff in-charge of sports when he had completed his studies
at Gurutalawa.
“It had been a difficult decision for Mr. Laffir to turndown an
already consented and secured employment in planting,” says Mijward Laffir his
son as told by the father.
A. C. M. Laffir the Prefect of Games, Manager of the CO-OP Society
and the College Farm
A. C. M.
Laffir takes over duties as the Prefect of Games of the school and joins with
the other old boys in the staff, who are also living within the school campus.
His first abode as a bachelor member was in the room adjoining the engine room of the swimming pool.
Living close to the pool he is now supervising the maintenance of the pool and
assisting Dr. Hayman in the coaching of swimmers. Coaching of Hockey, Tennis,
Squash, and Football that were under Fr. Foster is now his
responsibility.
Sports
being limited to the few hours in the evening he is entrusted in running the
day to day operations of the College Farm until a permanent Farm Manager was
sourced. In February 1954 the school opens a Cooperative Stores Society
with the students being its membership. This would be benefiting the students
with their general needs and the food provisions needed for the school boarding
house.
The
election to the position of the first Manager of the Cooperative Stores was
unanimous and it was the young and energetic Mr. A. C. M. Laffir. This position
he held for almost four years until he relinquished the post of CO-OP Manager
to take over the position of Farm Manager.
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The CO-OP Store Building - Built with sunburnt bricks - Laboured by the Staff and Students |
Sports at Gurutalawa
Gurutalawa
being a boarding school needed the boys to be sound both mentally and
physically. While the curriculum took charge of the educational aspects, the
various clubs for different sports were for the boys to select. There was a
variety to choose from Tennis, Athletics, Hockey, Cricket, Football, Swimming,
Boxing, Badminton, Volley Ball, and Table Tennis to one’s liking and ability.
Further
to games, there were life skills and hobbies to choose from; Photographic Club,
Philatelist Club, Farming Club, Astronomy Club, Rifle Shooting Club,
Bird-Watching, Scouting, Hiking, Cadetting, Horse Riding, and Wood Carving
However,
Gurutalawa with all these facilities still had the need of a spacious playing
field located within its campus. All attempts by authorities to purchase
adjoining lands to accommodate a playing field did not materialize. Mr. Laffir
highlights this aspect in his notes to the History of the College in
the book ‘First Fifty Years’ thus; “The
playing field was some distance away from the school and getting to it, across
the paddy fields, took some time. From the beginning, it was Dr. Hayman's wish
to site a sports ground by the buildings of the school itself in the extent of
land which is now cultivated with vegetables and which then slopes down to the
paddy fields below the main bungalow. This would have been an ideal site with a
natural amphitheater for the spectators. But though the school authorities have
tried again and again even after Dr. Hayman left; the present farmers who
cultivated the paddy fields have refused every offer to buy the fields.
Finally, the playing field came up in a distance over half a mile at the
six-acre government land obtained on a long term lease which was gradually
developed to the present condition where cricket, hockey, football, rugby, and
the athletic meets are held.”
Cricket
and football matches played against competing schools in the early days
(1942-1945) were worked out at the Bandarawela esplanade.
Football
Football
in the early days has been very popular in spite of the uneven surface and the
slope on which it was played. Football was played against schools in
Bandarawela and Badulla. The annual trip to St. Michael's College in Batticaloa
was a regular event. The cricket, athletics, boxing, and basketball
teams went along with the footballers to Batticaloa. It was a full four days
where the boys enjoyed visiting historical sites on the way back. Gurutalawa
had some outstanding players then; including A.C.M. Laffir who was coached by
Rev Fr. Foster. Today the standard of the game has fallen, but house matches
were played until Rugger overtook the game in 1965.
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Football Team 1962 with Dr. Hayman, Rev. Fr. Foster & A.C.M. Laffir |
Squash Racket Game
The
first Squash Court was built in 1957 with the assistance of the boys and staff.
The walls were built with mud bricks made of rammed earth and the court was
completed in 1958 without a roof for the lack of funds. Again it was Rev. Fr.
Foster who knew all about the game who undertook in coaching the boys. The game
became very popular and over 40 boys enrolled to the club. The need of a second
court was fulfilled, and with both courts having roofs on them with electrical
lighting, the boys could play late into the evenings and even on rainy days
when other sports were not possible.
In the
early '80s, the Squash Federation was formed and the First National tournament
was held. Gurutalawa became the Under 19 and 16 National Champion. Gurutalawa
had an edge over the other teams as it was the only school that played the game
then. N.S. Tillakaratne outdid all to become the Men’s National
Champion, bringing credit to Gurutalawa.
Badminton
Badminton
was very popular in the early years and both Dr. Hayman and Rev. Fr. Foster
played and encouraged in the development of the game. However, with the courts
all being in the outdoors, the game did not reach the competitive standards.
However, there were many good players from the beginning and one exception was
A.C.M. Jiffrey; the younger brother of A. C. M. Laffir who was also in college
for a short spell. A clear indication of the sporting blood that ran in the
family. The need for an indoor Badminton court has still not been fulfilled.
Badminton in Gurutalawa did not produce star class school players unlike STC
Bandarawela but it should be noted that L. G. Saman Gunawardane played for Sri
Lanka after he left college representing STC Mt Lavinia.
Tennis
Tennis
began in the late forties with the arrival of Mr. F. L. Amarasinghe to join the
teaching staff. Both Mr. and Mrs. Amarasingha were enthusiastic in promoting
the game among the students and the game developed rapidly. As the club
membership grew a third court was added in the mid-fifties. In the year 1950
Gurutalawa sent a team down to Colombo to compete in the Public Schools Tennis
Championships. In 1960 the school team coached by Mr. F. L. Amarasinghe and Mr.
L. M. Fernando won the G. A. Laing Challenge Shield for Junior Public School Tennis Championship, the only time this Challenge Shield has been won by a school outside Colombo. Again much of the practice tournaments were played against the planters in Darrawela and the Public Services Clubs in Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. These matches helped to improve the standard of the game in school.
However,
the standards did drop when Mr. and Mrs. Amerasinghe left college in the
mid-60s when their son Ralph Amerasinghe had ended schooling at Gurutalawa. The
club was revived once again when Mr. E.L. Perera / Head Master, himself a keen
player took up coaching with Mr. Chapman. Some improvement was seen but not to
the standards as in the early 60s. Mr. E. L. Perera, leaving in 1974
the game has been in the doldrums.
Volley Ball
This
game in the early days was more popular among the domestic staff. Driver-Piyasena
with Van-Simon, the sick room orderly, Ariyadasa, and his brother Karunadasa,
the ground boy were regular players in the evenings after work. They were
joined by some of the staff as well. Mr. Benjamin Fernando the bursar was a
good player.
Athletics
An
annual Athletics meet in all schools was a regulatory requisite by the
Education Department. Therefore, this was an annual event where the boys who
performed exceptionally did get to participate in the Public Schools
Championship in Colombo. The school held House Meets from 1943
onwards. It is noted that Arthur Perera; a distinguished old boy, was a member
of the 4 x 440 yards relay team that broke the existing Public Schools record
in 1948. The most lovable character Mr. J de S Jayasinghe took charge of Athletics in as early as 1949 and continued till
1976.
With the
commencement of a junior school in Gurutalawa, the Sports Meets today are more
colorful with a March Past, Drill Displays, and a Tug of War. A separate meet
for the Primary School commenced
from 1991. Even though it
was Mr. J de S Jayasinghe who was the master in charge it was none other than
Mr. Laffir who was the master of ceremonies during the sports meet;
coordinating marking of tracks and conducting heats to select finalists for the
final gala event.
Hockey
Hockey
has always been the signature sport at Gurutalawa. Boys were specialized from
the early days for playing the game on a grassless hard clay surface. The ball
did travel very fast on the clay surface, unlike a turf playing field. Thereby
the boys at Gurutalawa played a faster game and this was an advantage where
other schools played a slower game on a grassy surface.
The
competence and skills of the game were of a very high standard from the
beginning and it is noted that the Under 15 and the Under 17 Hockey teams had
toured India as early as 1959 /1960, playing against fourteen Indian schools in
Bangalore, Mysore, and Chennai.
Mr.
Laffir’s contribution to Hockey was significant after the Hayman era and the
demise of Rev Fr Foster in 1964. The ultimatum being when he produced the All Island Invincible Under 17 Hockey Team in the years
1972/1973.
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Hockey Team 1960 with Dr. Hayman, Rev. Fr. Foster & A.C.M. Laffir |
Sports in the Post Hayman Era
Many
were of the feeling that the school will not be the same as when it was in the
hands of Dr. Hayman and Rev. Fr. Foster. However their selection of a dedicated
set of old boys to the school staff with Mr. A. K. Chapman as the Acting
Headmaster ran the school in the same standards until Mr. Frank Jayasinghe came
in as the new Headmaster. Even though the academic standards dropped somewhat
the sports activities picked up in a big way with many in the staff assisting Mr.
Laffir in his position as Prefect of Games.
Mr. F.
L. Amerasinghe continued with Tennis, Mr. J de S Jayasinghe and Mr. O.N. Peries
coached cricket and athletics while rugger and basketball was looked after by
Mr. Fasy. Swimming progressed under Mr. Marasinghe. The racket games squash and
badminton with hockey was under Mr. Laffir. Football by now was not popular as
before but was coached both by Rev. Fr. Goodchild and Mr. Laffir.
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Laffir weds Mariam |
Mr.
Laffir in 1964 ties the knot with Siththy Mariam and moves into the married
staff accommodations in the vicinity of the Keble dormitory. They were generous enough to provide accommodation to about 15 boys when the school dormitory lodging exhausted. This was the time
the writer entered Gurutalawa and his memories of Mr. Laffir are reminded.
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Trendy and Lovable |
The short-statured gentleman in a striped long-sleeved open collar sport shirt and
shorts with matching striped stockings in canvas shoes or hockey boots and the
whistle cord round the neck would appear from nowhere when we would have just
finished our evening tea. Everyone whether selected for a team sport or not is
herded all the way to the grounds and made to engage in some sport. There were
those who would be gone ahead of him only to hide in some nook or
corner but Mr. Laffir would look in every possible hiding place and chase them
all to the grounds where he would then start his favorite hockey practices with
the two teams that would play each other. This way there was always an A team
and a B team ready for any crisis. Hockey or for that matter any sport at
Gurutalawa then (other than the cub games where a monthly fee was charged) was
played under very trying conditions. The school provided for the basic
requirements like a few bats, balls, and pads for cricket and about two dozen
Indian made hockey sticks. The boys on the other hand did not have any
protective gear that today’s students would not get into the playing field
without. As mentioned before the game was played on the hard clay surface and
we were very comfortable playing barefooted. This was how most of us
represented college matches as well. (Re; photograph of the invincible team)
Sports cosmetics was never a priority in that era and we all had very limited
access to resources.
The boys
in the boarding school ended the day with the evening visit to the CO-OP shop,
which again was a specialty to serve tea and an evening feed of either String Hoppers,
‘Godamba Roti’ or the then famous ‘Yeast-Roti’ with a generous serving of
shredded coconut - chili sambol. This would be the last time the boys would
interact with Mr. Laffir in a day in school. Straight from the grounds, he will
sit at the counter issuing you the receipt to collect your feed from the
server.
Mr.
Laffir did have the vision to produce the best team in the Uva
Province. He had by 1967 earmarked S. S. Piyadasa (SSP) who was
later known as Sarath Serasinghe. He was an expert in all racket games and
hockey. I have no doubt that Mr. Laffir saw a reflection of himself at school
in SSP. However, Laffir’s plans and expectations in building up the most
superior hockey team in the province led by the best player in the province,
had to be put on hold when SSPs parents decide to put him into Ananda College in
1969. SSP was so indulged in sports that his application towards studies was
neglected resulting in this transfer. However, SSP did excel in his hockey more
than in his studies even at Ananda and went all the way to lead the Sri Lanka
team in the game in the 80s. Mr. Laffir was yet a happy man for what SSP
achieved in hockey and being his first hockey coach.
However,
by 1972, Mr. Laffir did achieve his ambition in building that super invincible
team with players like Sarath Weerasekara, Nalim Rafeeq, and Premaratne
Wathuhewa. The team he produced was simply symbolic and was totally
a Made in Gurutalawa team …
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The Undefeated U17 - Super Hockey Team of 1972/1973 with Headmaster E.L.Perera & A. C. M. Laffir |
I had
left school by then but this is how Sufi Dole a student junior to me has
exemplified this team in the most appropriate manner in an FB comment
recently; “You
know the champion U17 Team that Mr. Laffir produced was not made up of
"imports from other schools" like it is common today. They were all
in-house guys. That team thrashed schools like STC-Mt, Royal, Ananda, Wesley,
Zahira College Matale, Trinity, St. Anthony's Kandy, where some of them had a
student population of 4,500, while Guru had only a total student population of
only 450 during my time to choose 11 players.”
“Laffir was an institution by himself. He would beat
the best student players in Tennis, Squash, Badminton, but would never
"rubbed it in", to make another person embarrassed or feel small. He
was an outstanding sportsman, but his greater achievement was his
"sportsmanship", and as with great leaders, the ability to articulate
and communicate these exemplary attributes through his behavior, compelling us
to emulate him” says Sufi of this exemplary character.
His
commitment to hockey went along with numerous achievements to the school in the
1970/1980 until the functioning of the school went into uncertainties in the
1980s. The intake of students to Grade 6 from the two Prep Schools in
Kollupitiya and Bandarawela ceased. Gurutalawa had to start a lower school with
a kindergarten and the number of students went over 1000. Dr. Hayman’s vision
for the school did change with this new school structuring and the impact was
directly affecting sports and other extracurricular activities. The staff that
continued from the Hayman era bade goodbye with many of them reaching
retirement age. However, Mr. Laffir did continue with his routine activities in
sports even during these difficult times. His devotion to hockey was not limited to the boys in the school. Sports at Gurutalawa did influence the village youth; they too played the seasonal sports with improvised hockey sticks and cricketing gear. Mr. Laffir in later years provided his coaching skills to these village boys, bring out some excellent players amongst them.
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Mr. A. C. M. Laffir and Mariam Laffir flanked by daughters Rehana & Shahina and their Daughter in Law |
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Rehana takes oaths as a Lawyer - Mr. Lafffir with his elder brother A. C. M. Gaffoor, son Mijward, and wife Mariam |
Mr.
Laffir did continue serving the school even after many of his contemporaries
had left the institution by 1989. But he too could not continue long, when he
had to make allowances for his failing health. He was diagnosed with terminal
cancer and had to call an end to all his commitments at Gurutalawa and come
back home to Rambukpitiya in Nawalapitiya. He passed away peacefully and was
laid to rest on the 26th of October 1994 in Nawalapitiya with a solemn Janasa
attended by the close family. It was an early call and he was only 62 years.
He is
survived by his beloved wife Mariam, son Mijward and the two daughters Rehana
and Shahina. Mijward did follow
the father’s path and ended as the Head Prefect in Gurutalawa in the years 1984
/ 1985. He was the All-Round Sportsman in 1985 and the All Island Runner Up in
Under 19 Squash in the same year. Both the girls entered Bishop's College
Colombo as hostellers. They both excelled in swimming and represented Bishops
College in Lawn Tennis. Rehana was a member of the hockey team. They all sure
did make the father happy and proud.
Mr. A.
C. M. Laffir lives in the hearts and souls of many who went past Gurutalawa in
the four decades from 1950 to 1980. There had been instigations to remember
this great personality and the only Prefect of Games by naming Sports Challenge
Shields and Awards in his name. The planned renovations to the old pavilion
building in memory of this great personality did not materialize with the
administrative issues and the long term lease on the property which would end
in the next 25 years. It is sad to note that hockey as well as most other games
did not carry through after his demise. However, it is a blessing to see a Hockey
Team from Gurutalawa re-emerging today after a lapse of almost 20 years.
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Mr. Laffir's interaction with Dr. & Mrs. Haymans' last visit to College in 1983
(From the Family Album) |
Finally,
it must be noted, what Dr. Hayman and Rev. Fr. Foster created at Gurutalawa was
a very special school. Their vision was to develop a student with a command and
leadership to suit all weather conditions. Sports and other activities were
planned to achieve this goal. Passing examinations was not a priority but a
requirement. Looking back at some of the erudite products, from Gurutalawa;
Bishop Lakshman Wickramasinghe, Bradman Weerakoon, Clifford Ratwatte, S. K.
Wickramasinghe, A. T. Kovoor, Nihal Ilangakoon from the earlier batches, and
more recently Prof. Lakshman R. Watawala, Prof. Mohan de Silva, Prof. Sarath
Kotagama, Prof. Hemasiri Kotagama, and Prof. Amal Kumarage, is ample proof of
what they gained at Gurutalawa. However, that school in Gurutalawa ceased to
exist from 1978 with the change in the structure of the school. Today it is a
different school and it would be inappropriate to expect the same results as
then.
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An all Bachelor Staff Party in the early days - A.C.M. Laffir, C.M. Chinniah, J. de. S. Jayasinghe, D.U. Samaranayake, Selwyn. Gunawardane. |
The
credit of such achievements in the past go solely to the commitment and
dedication of the staff who lived a 'boarding life' with the boys. Among them,
Mr. A.C.M. Laffir was the last man to leave and it could be boldly stated that
there will not be a Prefect of Games to match the quality and commitment of Mr.
Laffir at Gurutalawa, seemingly forever.
Esto
Perpetua.
Uditha
Wijesena.
Author's Notes
The author wishes to thank Mr. Mijward Laffir for the information and for sharing the family album.
Mr. Nihal Wanniarachchi who has been intimate with the Laffir family and for providing insight. Aditha my niece for her advice on editing and suggestions.
Part of history has been gleaned.from the book First Fifty Years
