History
Athletic Association of Sri Lanka
THE BRITISH, the colonial rulers introduced modern sports including Athletics to Sri Lanka earlier known as Ceylon. The British planters and the garrisons stationed in the upcountry and other towns organized sports clubs where they promoted Athletics, Boating and Cricket. Thus they were known as ABC clubs. The first athletics meet in the country was held in 1868 on the 9th, 10th and 11th June of 1868 at the Riffle Esplanade – Kandy. It was organized by the Central Province ABC Club. The sports bodies in other parts of the country followed the lead given by them. Annual sports meets were conducted by different organizations. The credit of holding the first sports meet for school children goes to Trinity College – Kandy.
The Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) was born as a National Sports organization in 1896 when Col G R Savage and Mr Wilton Bartlet and other enthusiasts in the European Community and predominant European Clubs joined together to form the Ceylon AAA and it was affiliated to the British Amateur Athletic Association. Initially the Ceylon AAA conducted athletic meets and it catered primarily to the Europeans. The natives were not privileged to participate in these meets. They held regular meets until 1912. The First World War of 1914 – 1918 caused a hold to all sports activities.
After the World War the standard of athletics among the schoolboys was improving and there emerged several promising young athletes. This prompted the sports enthusiasts and one of Sri Lanka’s foremost sports writers, Mr S P Foenander to convene a meeting of all sportsmen interested in schools and club athletics to form an Association with a view of staging a National Athletic Championships. The inaugural National Athletic Championships was held on the 24th of September 1921 at the C H & F C grounds in the Colombo Race Course. This meet incidentally led to the revival of the then defunct Ceylon AAA and since the year 1921 the Annual Championship was held regularly to date.
In 1922 Col T Y Wright was selected as the First President of the Ceylon Amateur Athletic Association which was later re-named as the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka. Mr R W Cammack the Physical Director of the Y M C A was selected Hony Secretary while Mr S P Foenander was selected as the Hony Assistant Secretary.
The Association became affiliated to the International Amateur Athletic Federation on the 18th January 1922. Therefore the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka considers that its inauguration as a duly recognized controlling body of Athletics from 18th January 1922.