'WE EARNED FRIENDS, NOT MONEY'

The untold story of Lorenz Pereira who was despised by a cricket captain, did not hold a rugby ball but captained CH and FC, won Colours in five sports and sadly notes schools are importing teenage professionals

- ByALLAAM OUSMAN

Lorenz Pereira, now 86 years old, carries with him the memories of an active sporting life few can match. He was Royal College's pride, CH & FC's and CCC's first Ceylonese captain and an athlete who was a champion in four school sports cricket, rugby, tennis and athletics. His story blends natural talent with discipline and dedication and above all, a passionate love of sport, played in the true "Spirit of the Game", that has never dimmed.

His father Professor E.O.E. Pereira, started the Faculty of Engineering in Sri Lanka in 1950 and was known as the father of Engineering in Sri Lanka.

Lorenz was in Sri Lanka as Guest of Honour on the occasion of their Diamond Jubilee celebrations. "When I was five years old, dad bought me a tennis racquet probably bigger than I was. He gave me the pet name of, 'Lollo', after the famous Italian actress of the time, Gina Lollobrigida. 'Lollo' has stood the test of time" said Lorenz.

"In our early days at Nugegoda, we had a garage wall where my father drew a horizontal line marking the height of a net. From the age of five, I was constantly hitting the ball against that wall. That gave me the early reflexes, coordination, and eyesight to excel in sport," he reminisced in an interview with the Daily Mirror.

From those garage wall rallies, young Lorenz blossomed into a rare all-rounder.

He obtained five Colours for cricket, tennis, rugby, athletics, and public schools athletics. In 1959, Lorenz was chosen as the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. He also played rugby for Ceylon in 1959 while still at Royal College and went on to captain Sri Lanka in rugby.

Cricket

At Royal Prep he captained cricket at about nine or ten. Later, at Royal, he was vice-captain under Michael Wille in 1957, and captain in 1958 which marked his beginnings in cricket.