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Initial E-mail
« Thread Started on Jul 2, 2005, 7:07am »

Teams named after Schools in Sri Lanka
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 16:08:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Chanaka Fernando

My dear Sri Lankans:

I am writing this letter to make a kind request; that is to ask some
of us in our community of Sri Lankans to be truthful to one another
and to the community in general. I am sure our schools back home
have also taught you that very lesson.

With that in mind, please allow me to point out that, using school
names for some participating teams in sports tournaments organized
by the Sri Lankan community in this area actually bring dishonor to
the schools concerned back home. It is a shame for the school
concerned to use its name for a team that includes players who had
NEVER gone to that particular school in Sri Lanka. Some of the old
boys of reputed and highly respectable schools in Sri Lanka, who are
currently living here, use the name of their old school to form a
team, but include highly skilled players of that sport who had not
been students of that particular school. By doing so, whom are they
trying to cheat at? What are they trying to prove and achieve? If
they are trying to prove that their old school is the best in that
particular sport, then they are definitely not being truthful to the
community, hence they bring dishonor to an other wise honorable and
highly respectable school in Sri Lanka. Additionally, most of these
players who miss-represent their school have never played that
particular sport for his school back home. Therefore, it seems, as
if they are trying to shine at this stage of their life by playing
for a team that is named after a reputed school name in Sri Lanka.

Here is a fact; Win or lose St. Peters, to this date, is the only
team in this area that has been using their team name genuinely and
truthfully. They have been selecting only their old boys to
represent their team. That shows the class of people that particular
school produces! Win or lose they have been truthful to the
community. Way to go St. Peters! (by the way, please leave those
Peterites alone, because I am not one of them ;-))

My dear friends, it was your school’s duty to teach you when
participating in a sport, win or lose play the game fairly and
squarely. You should have learned to play the game honorably,
truthfully and genuinely as well. As such, you cannot be a
Royalist, Thomian, Trinitian, Anandian, Nalandian or a Josephian, if
you had never attended the school concerned. If you are playing for
a team that uses a school name to which you had never attended while
you were living in Sri Lanka, then you are not only disrespecting
your own school (if any!) but also you are labeling yourself as a
cheat. May I also add, you are rather labeling yourself as a
victory-seeker who would go to any level of cheating in order to
win.

Therefore, my dear gentlemen, please be fair to other teams
competing in a tournament and be truthful to the event spectators
and also to the community in general. If you could not find players
who attended the school to fully represent your team, you should
have the decency to use a non-related name for your team. Such a
name could be Kabaragoyas, Elephants, Cats, Lions, Tigers, Lankans
etc. etc. My dear Sri Lankans, why do you cheat when you have so
many names to be picked from, ha?

For an example say, if Trinity with all old Trinitians playing
together as a team won a tournament, then how great would that
victory be to the school, back home? What a respect and honor that
winning team would bring to the school, because that team competed
fairly and truthfully by playing their own old boys, only? Win or lose play the game as who you actually are. Then, when you win, that victory becomes noble! Only then, the spectators would begin to
admire the school and respect its name.
Please note that, I used Trinity as an example only. Besides them,
many other schools are guilty of this act.

In summary, they all must understand, if winning a sports tournament is everything for them, then cheating and misrepresenting their
school should not be part of it!

Thank you.

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This reply would shut him up!
« Reply #1 on Jul 7, 2005, 5:54pm »

Dear Chanaka et al:

Although I wasn’t going to reply to a gratuitous mass email that has been sent out an untargeted audience, I thought of clarifying my opinion (as an organizer of one of these tournaments and as a player of an accused school) to the email, which I think misrepresents most of the true facts. The content of the email is solely my opinion and I do not speak for my school or any other member of the school.

To begin with, let me clarify few things that you have forgotten to mention in your email. First, these tournaments are not official nor any certified tournaments which would go into record books in Sri Lanka. The primary purpose of these tournaments, in my opinion, are to get the Sri Lankans in that particular area (in DC in this matter) reunited and have a fine social event, while playing some of the most enjoyable sports in the world, which we Sri Lankans die to play.

As a player who has played in a number of these tournaments, I can say that the “competition” in a tournament is really important, regardless of its officiality. “Competition” is what brings the crowd and for that matter, all the supportive Sri Lankans, who become victims of unwanted tan while watching these matches for 10 hours in unprotected sun. Naming a team by a school name have managed to increase the competition of these tournaments, thus making it more interesting for the players and fans who literally wait the rest of their year counting days to this special day. (I think anyone would agree that Trinity Vs Royal game would generate more crowd than some Kabaragoyas Vs Elephants game)

Getting overseas players, outsiders for this matter, is not an unusual thing. In fact, it is universal that you can see teams from around the world adapting to it. (Chanaka: I hope you’ve heard about Jayasuriya and Smith playing for Somerset and Fijians playing for Kandy SC; and from what I know I don’t think Somerset and Kandy SC changed their names into Kabaragoyas and Cats hence then)

Thus, what all these school teams, which field one or two players from outside trying to do are to keep the balance in the team to be more competitive. If you say that these two outside players are the ones who are solely responsible for the wins of those particular teams, I kindly ask you to double check the records and score sheets before coming to such a conclusion. And for those players who you are accused of playing for other schools, are the ones who couldn’t find their own school mates who are capable of playing competitive cricket to put a team together. All they want is to play for a team that has a balance and has a purpose of winning. I wouldn’t have acted differently if I were to be in their shoes. Thus, as long as the players are Sri Lankans, and fit with the respective tournament rules, I don’t think why others would care about it, if not for those evil human characteristic! s like jealously, resentment and hatredness. In fact, I would like to see more and more schools represent in these tournaments if they fit in under the proper rules.

Another important point you have missed in your email is that there are rules in every one of these tournaments regarding fielding a team representing a particular school in Sri Lanka. In case you missed them, following are two of those rules that are relevant to this issue:

“(a) In order to give an opportunity to those who wish to represent their school in the respective "school team," the team representative must ensure that all interested players are given an opportunity to play for the school team.

(b) At least five members of a school team must have attended that particular school for not less than one calendar year. In case a team cannot find five such members, they are requested to field a team not representing the school.”

In my opinion, having at least five out of the seven players who have actually represented the school in Sri Lanka is more than fair to that school. Further, I don’t even think that any of our school colleagues in Sri Lanka would give their two cents to these SOFT BALL & TAG RUGGER tournaments in the first place.

And to answer your comment,

“If they are trying to prove that their old school is the best in that particular sport, then they are definitely not being truthful to the community, hence they bring dishonor to an other wise honorable and highly respectable school in Sri Lanka.”

No! We don’t want to prove anything to our old school by playing softball or tag rugger in United States. They have official tournaments played with other schools in leagues to rank up their name and build up the reputation, which they would sure to give their life and soul out. And mind you, if it’s an inter-school old boy’s competition that we play here in DC, I bet all these schools will field a side including just the people who have actually being to those schools.

We, who play here in these tournaments, are OLD BOYS, who just want to enjoy the victory over a barbeque and a few mugs of beer for the rest of the year. We didn’t come to United States to represent our Old schools in soft ball tournaments. We all have come with other purposes and we take these tournaments as a valued opportunity to reunite and enjoy the time off from school and work. So I don’t see why people can’t just take it light, sit back and enjoy some exciting games of cricket on a day that you could otherwise be working 8 hours.

Finally, I think we all should just mind our own business as long as the rest is playing by rules and regulations. I think we all have other things, much BIGGER matters in SRI LANKA at this time to worry about than crying over some softball teams who represent themselves in school names with only five out of seven players have actually being to that respective school.

So let us not call our very own Sri Lankans cheaters, liars or unfaithful citizens, but rather get together and do some good to our mother Lanka, who desperately needing our help at this moment. I seriously think if we put our effort that we spent writing these emails and plotting against each other, which serves no good and only harm to Sri Lanka, to some good work that can serve our mother Lanka, we can all hope for peace and prosperity to our country.

Thank you and although I could have argued each and every point you have mentioned in your email, I think I have explained myself enough for anyone to differentiate the truth from the myth.

Sincerely,

Manjula Dissanayake

Trinity College, Kandy

(1987 – 2000)

P.S: This would be my one and only reply to these unwarranted mass emails.

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SHAWN
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Re: Initial E-mail
« Reply #2 on Jul 11, 2005, 3:19pm »

Hey ... ... Dude ( Mr. Stranger ) ,

Don't you have anything better to do ? ? ? ? ? ?

Do u have a job ? ? ? ? ? ?

Who are you ? ? ? ? ?

Who do u think you are ? ? ? ? ? ( STRANGER )

Also one more thing WHAT SCHOOL DID U GO TO ?
Well , , ,

If u are a real MAN ( I mean a REAL MAN ) please come FWD & talk to your Dear Sri Lankans. Just show the DEAR SRI LANKANS who this jobless person is . . . . !

If u really mean this why dont you come FWD & talk to us face to face & do u really have time for this kind of thing ?

All i can say is if u dont come FWD & say who you are .... your just a nother covered .. .. ..

.

Shawn Joseph ,

St' Peters College (CAP)

Guy's just do ur thing , don't worry about so call CHANAKA JOBLESS FERNANDO ( He is just a covered )

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Re: Initial E-mail
« Reply #3 on Jul 20, 2005, 6:21am »

From: Chanaka Fernando
Subject: Teams named after Schools in Sri Lanka
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 15:10:01 -0700 (PDT)

My dear Sri Lankans:

I am writing this letter to apologize those who got deeply offended by my
original request. My only intention at that point was to convince you that,
when a school team includes only their old boys, it makes sense. But, in
doing so, I admit, I went too far in calling names for those who include
non-old boys. That was wrong from my part and I am shamed of it. After all
who am I to say who is correct and who is wrong also what is correct and
what is wrong?
Therefore guys please disregard my original email and get on with your own
team selection policies and procedures. Please feel free to do your "thing"
as Shawn Joeseph asked you to.

However, while I agree with all most everything Manjula Dissanayake had said
in his email response I kindly disagree with one specific point he made.
Manjula, please allow me to correct what you had to say about Sommerset
Cricket club in U.K. and Kandy SC. You wrote, "Chanaka: I hope you’ve heard
about Jayasuriya and Smith playing for Somerset and Fijians playing for
Kandy SC; and from what I know I don’t think Somerset and Kandy SC changed
their names into Kabaragoyas and Cats hence then".
Manjula, these clubs play foreign players however they do not need to change
their names as those clubs are professional sports bodies and their names
themselves imply that to the public. For example, SC means "Sports Club".
Hence, they do not represent a certain group of people like in the case of a
school team. In contrast let me ask you, does England's national team
includes Sanath Jayasuriya? Or any combined cricket XI named after England
includes Sanath or any foreigner who is NOT a citizen of that country?
Again, please allow me to use your own old school - Trinity as an example
here;
When you name a team as Trinity College Kandy it clearly gives us the
impression (the spectators and the community) that your team's players have
gone to that school in Kandy. Whatever the tournament rules may be, we as
spectators get that first impression. i.e: all the players are from that
school.

Two years ago (I think in the summer of 2004) I saw Trinity rugby team
playing Senani Gunaratne, Dasarath Kiridena, Imesh Goonatileka and Shah Dole
the great players who represented Trinity in 1987-1988-1989 era. Honestly,
I was thrilled to see them winning the DC 7-A-Side tag-rugby championship.
It brough back old memories! How wonderful it was!

But, my point is, when you include an outsider or two with that reputed lot,
specially when they had never gone to Trinity, you don't get that same
enjoyment and the excitement that you would get when you see the old stars
wearing the Blue-Yellow-Red stripe jersey and playing together like in the
good old days. For instance, if the spectators came to know a Royalist, Thomian or an Isipathanian played with that Trinity four, it would take away the excitement and
the shine out of that grand Trinity victory. The victory that particular
team achieved through working the line superbly using Imesh-Dole-Senani
trio!
In my opinion, only then you could make such a tournament more interesting
for the players and fans, isn't it?
But, if you don't agree with me here then please disregard my point of view
and get on with your own ways of forming your school team.

Again I want to say sorry if any of my words in the previous email offended
any of you or your respective schools.
Having said that, please allow me to "retract" whatever I said using the
words such as, cheating, truthful, respect, honor, unfair, victory-seeker,
disrespecting etc. After all, who am I to call you names? Shawn was
absolutely right in that regard!

Finally, my best wishes go to Trinity, Royal, St. Thomas, Ananda, Nalanda,
St. Joesephs, St. Peters and the non-old boy players of those teams for
future tournaments!!! Let the sanity prevail!

Thank you.

Note #1 - I also take this opportunity to apologize to Ananda College OBU for presenting my facts incorrectly, in my earlier email. I am so sorry Anandians.

Note# 2 - Whoever stole Sandra Ismail's wallet from the Trinity tent, please be kind enough to return it to her, as it contained some of her very personal belongings that may not be of any use to you. Although , I do not know her personally, I am very disturbed by such an act of cowardness, obviously by a Sri Lankan.
Sandra - I hope you recover from this loss soon.

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Peterites are in Hot Water!
« Reply #4 on Jul 25, 2005, 11:51am »

Hi Ladies and Gents
Please note that this years 7-A-Side cricket tournament is rescheduled to be completed on 7/30/05 10.00 am at the Lakefairfax park Cricket Grounds.(A follow up email will be sent on7/28/05 after checking weather forcast to confrim this date.) In the event of your team unable to attend on 7/30/05 A workover will be awarded to the other team scheduled to play with your team. All teams should have players from revised roster or original roster provided on the 16th July 2005.

The following format have been used to determine the winners of the games completed over 80%.
(GROUP A) - A1 x B2 SPC - 5 overs =40 Runs Run Rate 8.00
SPC VS Queens Posse QP - 4 Overs = 28 Runs Run Rate 7.00
At 4 overs SPC 32 Runs At 4 overs QP = 28 runs
St.Peters College winner by higher run rate of 8.00 move to next round

(GROUP A) - B1 X A2 New Yorkers - 5 overs 57 Runs Run Rate 11.4
Gaithers VS Newyorkers Gaithers - 3.5 Overs Run Rate 7.14
At 4 overs Newyorkers 56 Runs At 4 overs Gaithers 25 Runs
NewYorkers winner by higher run rate of 11.4 move to next round

Q finals for - GROUP C and GROUP D will be re played, since these games did not start.

LADIES GAMES
SEMI FINALS
FINALS

Below you will find updated details and directions to the location.

Tournament Schedule (16 men's and 4 women's teams will be competing for this year tournament)
10.00 - Umpire and Captain briefing on tournament rules by organizing committe. (Compulsory for all captains)

Start at 10.30 am (Quater Finals)
12.30 1.00 PM Lunch
1.00 Semi finals
2.30 Ladies Tournament
4.00 Finals
5:00 PM Trophy presentation

Please call me if you need more information
Thank you very much
Sincerely,
Dakshi De Silva
President Cricket Society
(703) 220-2394 Cell; (703) 406-0268 Home

REPLIES TO THE EMAIL:

A RE-MATCH FOR QUARTER FINAL WOULD BE FARE TO ALL PLAYERS.

If your concur please respond to the organizers. I think this is
totally unfair. Since the weather played major role disabling us mid
of the 2nd over.

Plus failure to warn player during the downpour is another factory to consider.

Something we all should consider in this situation!

Hi Afthab,
There was only light rain when the matches were called in, In anyway your batsman decided to continue batting even in the rain until the umpires call the games off. The cricket society representative did ask all people in tents to go to their respective cars when the Strom got worse. (We did not want to use the bull horn at that point due to lighting)
Unfortunately it seems you are trying to put a lot of burden on us to achieve your goal. When we came to this decision all these factors were considered,

Once again we thank you for participating in our tournament and wish your team the very best in all future tournaments.

Thanks
Dakshi
SLCSWDC

Hi All,

I'm happy for those of you who get another chance to play on the 30th. I wish our team were able to do so as well.

I'm just sorry that our guys & girls traveled 250 miles (one way mind you) , some of us taking days off from work, spending money to stay at a hotel, expecting to enjoy and have a good time, had to come home after a rained out tournament, and a dinner dance that promised a lot, but failed to deliver just like the tournament itself (I feel bad that a good DJ like Shawn had to be involved in a poorly planned event like that). What a waste of a weekend.

There's this one thing that keeps bugging me, the ruling seems to have favored the team that has one of the organizers as a team member. When questioned about it, they ask us to respect their decisions. I don't know about you guys, but I think whenever an organizer has a reason to be biased to one team over the other(s), credibility is the last thing they should expect have.

Most of you probably don't agree with me, since you already got a second chance at it. Hopefully this wouldn't repeat at future tournaments.

I hope to see all you true cricket players and supporters in Staten Island, NY on august 28th. I’m not an organizer of that event, but I heard there are $1000 reasons for playing in that tournament. If anyone would like more information, call (212) 2455529.

Namal

Namal,

I totally agree with you. My team too feel the same. Like you
mentioned, we were the victims for there benefit. This is why the
organizers team played until there run rate were higher than the NY
Posse's. It all makes sense now.

I am disappointed that the NY Posse did not contest the results.

Thanks for speaking out, we need more of people like you.

Cheers!
Afthab

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