by Reemus Fernando
Ernest Fernando, the only Sri Lankan wrestler to have competed at the Olympics passed away on Friday, Sriyani Kulawansha the president of Sri Lanka Olympians told The Island. Fernando represented Sri Lanka at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics under the captaincy of Ravi Jayawardene and was one of the very few Sri Lankan witnesses to Ranatunga Karunanada’s epic 10,000 metres run at the Olympics.
A student of St. Mary’s College, Dehiwala Fernando, took to wrestling at the school and later joined YMCA where he was coached by Henry Silva, a Commonwealth Games participant. He commenced in the pin weight category and started competing at national level in 1960. He became the national champion in 1963, a year before his Olympic representation. He represented the country at a time when only a very few athletes were selected due to financial constraints.
“There were 13 to 14 selected for Olympics from all sports. Then Dr. N.M. Perera was the Minister of Finance. He said money could be allocated only for six athletes. Then the Olympic Council had to select six. The athletes were selected by casting votes,” Fernando was quoted as having said in an interview which appeared in The Island in 2012.
At the Tokyo Olympics he was eliminated in the first round by Mongolian wrestler Chimedbazaryn Damdinsharav. Fernando quit wrestling in 1965 and served the sport as a coach. He was the wrestling coach of the University of Kelaniya for nearly two decades. His remains lie at Jayaratne Funeral Parlor, Kalubowila and the funeral will take place today at 4 p.m.