Peradeniya University Gymnasium

by HM NISSANKA WARAKAULLE

The very spacious gymnasium at the University of Peradeniya has been in place since a campus of the then University of Ceylon was established there. It is an all-purpose building used for indoor sports, tournaments, matches and practice when academic sessions are on. At other times the gym is used to hold university examinations. The convocations too are held within this building.

I first went to the university gym when I was a schoolboy in the mid-fifties to watch a boxing tournament of the All-India Inter-Universities Association(AIUA). The University of Ceylon which was the only university in Sri Lanka at that time, was a member of the AIUA. University cricket and hockey teams used to participate in these tournaments held in India. The boxing meet was the only one hosted in Sri Lanka.

I was awestruck as I entered this massive building with stadium-type tiered concrete seating in the balconey for spectators. What goes on in the whole gym is visible from there. I thought I had killed two birds with one stone seeing this magnificent building as well as watching an AIUA boxing meet held there. I had no idea then that I would be entering that university later.

My next visit to the gym was when I went there to sit the University Entrance (UE) examination in 1958. This examination was the precursor of the present Advanced Level examination and it was conducted by the university in four centres in Colombo, Peradeniya, Galle and Jaffna. The candidates from schools in Kandy, Matale, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Kegalle and Ratnapura and the surrounding areas sat the exam in the Peradeniya gym.

We had to sit for two papers in each of four subjects, totaling eight question papers in all. So we carried refreshments from home to be had during the hour-long break between the two papers each day. On and off some undergraduates living in and around Kandy came to the library to read the texts they had not been able to access during the term if there was a high demand for such texts.

One day I had an interesting encounter with one of the undergraduates who had come to the examination hall during the break between papers to have some fun at the expense of the candidates. When he came near my desk with two others to rag me, I politely asked them to leave me alone as I must do some revision for the next paper. When they did not heed my request, I got up from my seat and in no uncertain terms asked them to vanish scaring them off by telling them I too was from Kandy and will deal with them in town if they bothered me.

I finished the examination and was at home awaiting the results which were then not sent either to the candidates’ schools or homes. Three months later when the results were published in the “Daily News,” I found that I and two others from Kingswood, Lakshman Kinigama and Calvin Senaratne, had passed. All at home were happy at my success.

During that time only the freshers were admitted during the first week of admission called the Freshers’ Week. The seniors came a week later. I was afraid that the undergraduate with whom I had a confrontation in the gym might seek revenge. I protected myself by making sure I went with seniors whenever I went for lectures and the threat fizzled off within a few days. My adversary later became a friend when both of us were members of the Council of the University of Colombo.

A few of my friends and I used to go to the gym to play badminton, table tennis and paddle tennis. There were others involved in wrestling, boxing, weightlifting or physical training. There was also a billiards table but not many were interested in the game and it was hardly used unlike the billiards table at the Medical Faculty in Colombo which we heard from friends was never left idling.

There was boxing practice too as there were a number of undergraduates who had boxed during their schooldays. However, half way through our second year, one of the first year students challenged a senior who was a very good boxer and the match was held with the Director of Physical Education, Leslie Handunge, as referee.

In the second round the senior gave his opponent an uppercut and he fell backwards, hitting his head on the canvas. He was concussed and rushed to hospital where he recovered. This episode led to boxing being removed from sports activities on campus. Never again did they have boxing in Peradeniya and later the ring too was removed from the gym.

My last visit to the gym was after graduating when I went for the convocation. We had to line up along the road outside in order of names called and walk into the gym to occupy the allotted seats. Governor -General William Gopallawa awarded the degrees. This was his first convocation after assuming office and the last as Governor-General. He later presided over convocations as the country’s non-executive President.

While going up to be conferred our degrees, we received applause and catcalls loud and clear depending on the popularity of the new graduate. These are nostalgic memories of my experiences and associations with the gym at the University in Peradeniya.