Appreciation: Upali Tissa Pieris Seneviratne

My brother, close on two years senior to me, was into sports — cricket, football, and athletics were his favourites.

- D G P (GAMINI) SENEVIRATNE

We were at De Mazenod College for our primary schooling, moved apart thereafter — he to Ananda College which had hosted all our male relatives from our father and his brothers, our mother’s brothers and all our male cousins on either side, while I was sent to Royal. He moved, thereafter, to the Royal Post-Primary which turned into Thurstan College.

There he distinguished himself at cricket and, together with his captain, Brindley Perera, provided the runs. He also had the distinction of being the first at Thurstan to pass the SSC examination. At that point he returned to De Mazenod where he won, what was called, the Senior Proficiency Prize, captained the cricket eleven, and was the senior athletics champion.

That last was witnessed by the district head of the Police and led to his being rapidly drawn into the Police force.