Sport; “ for Better or for Worse”, it is a Great Pleasure and a Privilege as the Minister for Sports, to have been invited by the Royal fraternity in penning this brief message, on the occasion of probably the World’s Longest & Most Prestigious Uninterrupted Cricket Match, which is none or a few to compare in exuberance, rivalry and sportsmanship as in event, the school by the “Ladies” den; Royal College, Colombo battle-in with their arch rival, the “school by the Sea”; S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, as the “140th Battle of the Blues”, dawns in March 2019.
Royalists! You are fortunate to have been associated with such rich cricketing tradition in this country, as the Royal-Thomian Battle of the Blues has been emulated as a pace-setter in many spheres and for many schools to follow as a prototype throughout the Island, in the month of March.
The “140th Battle of the Blues”, is one of the most sought after sporting events in this paradise and the interest of present and old boys of these two colleges, cricketers young and old and people domiciled in most parts of our Island, will be focused on this event during the coming days. Players from both schools will get prepared for this memorable occasion, to give of their best, but Cricket is a “Game of Uncertainty” and whosoever, Wins or Loses does not really matter, but it is how well you, as players “Learn to Play the Game”, conclusively, while “Sportsmanship” is helmed as the winner, that matters within all walks of life.
In Conclusion; Remember, emulation is one stage in adolescence and the behavior of students in leading schools influence the students of other institutions, hence, it is pertinent that, students of Royal and S.Thomas’ should be of proper character and portray a great sense of responsibility at all times, on and off the field, setting exemplary conduct for others to emulate. Hence, this Sporting Carnival is no better an opportunity to do so, in the building of Generations to come…
May the Royal-Thomian Cricket encounter grow from strength to strength and give us long hours of enriched participation. In conclusion would like to take the opportunity to wish both teams best of luck and may be the best team emerge victorious.
Harin Fernando
Minister of Sports