The long and colourful history of basketball at this college has made almost synonymous with St. Michael’s. The reason for this is not far to seek, for among the galaxy of games in which Michaelites have participated and excelled during the past few generations, basketball has undoubtedly stood supreme. The constructive and polished display exhibited by the various squads representing St. Michael’s and the overwhelmingly favourable results achieved by them, are factors which though mute, speak eloquently of the standard of basketball which this college has always maintained.
From very modest beginning when Fr. O’Connor introduced the game in 1933, basketball at St. Michael’s has grown from strength to strength, for what it is today – a force to be reckoned with by any basketball team in the country.
But its progress during those early days was both painfully slow and often demoralizing. In the initial stages of its development, the lack of local competition, proved a formidable handicap to the students and was to a degree, responsible for sapping the interest which the boys were beginning to cultivate for the game. Despite this set-back, the late Fr.Linehan together with Fr. W. Moran and later Fr. H. J. Weber kept the game alive by constructing basketball courts in the quadrangle and organizing matches among the boys, till the long wait for competitive basketball came to an end in 1951, when with the arrival of Fr.Ralph J. Rieman, Michaelites took to the game with renewed interest and zest.
Thus, in 1951, that five different basketball courts were constructed in the college quadrangle for use by boys in the various age groups. The same year, saw the old boys of the college form themselves a club and Batticaloa was privileged to witness for the first time a club playing basketball against St. Michael’s. Though defeated in that game, the honour of being the first local club to play basketball against St. Michael’s went to the Batticaloa Sports Association’s Basketball team.
Fortune continued to smile on basketball and St. Michael’s, with the arrival Fr. Brou. In 1955, this young man with Fr. Weber constructed the first colas-surfaced court. The students who were till then using gravel courts to play tournaments suddenly found themselves operating on the new colas- surfaced courts. Soon there were regular matches between the old boys, the present boys and the Jesuit community. These games became a regular feature which the local basketball enthusiasts awaited with eager anticipation.
It did not take for long for the first ever All-Island basketball tournament to be played in Batticaloa. In October 1955, St. Michael’s had the proud privilege of hosting this tournament which the Michaelmen S.C., under the captaincy of Dodwell Balthazaar won, defeating many experienced sides from Colombo and Jaffna. St. Michael’s too had its share of glory when defeating the highly – fancied Jaffna College and Carey College, Colombo.
St. Michael’s participated in the second All-Island Basketball tournament in Jaffna from 18th to 20th of October 1956 and had the satisfaction of defeating the University of Ceylon for the first time. This tournament was won by the Y. M. C. A., Colombo.
In 1956 and 1957, St. Michael’s entered various tournaments in the country. In December 1956, playing in the tournament held at St. Peter’s College, Colombo, it came runners-up losing to the University by a single point in the finals.
In 1958, Fr. Weber combined his imaginative talents with the practical skill of late Fr. Ralph Riemen to construct the beautiful ‘hanging baskets’ which we see in the quadrangle today. The fact that St. Michael’s possesses on of the best basketball courts in the country today, is without doubt due to the dedicated efforts of these two priests and to the assistance rendered by the students of the college.
The Exter Shield Tournament in Colombo also felt the impact of this college in 1958 when a few old boys and present boys made up a team and defeated some star-studded teams from Colombo.
The first-ever Public Schools Tournament was conducted at St. Michael’s in 1960 and this year saw Rienzie Balthazaar become the very first Michaelite to win Public Schools Basketball colours when he was selected to represent the Ceylon Public Schools in Major tournament in Colombo.
1961, without doubt, was St. Michael’s proudest year at basketball, because, a team composed almost entirely present and past boys won, and the All-Ceylon title it triumphed in the first National Tournament in Colombo. Though playing under the name ‘Eastern Province’, our boys did creditably and as a result of the phenomenal achievement, basketball at St. Michael’s rocketed from Provincial obscurity to National limelight. The boys who made up the historic team were Dunstan Balthazaar(Captain), Dodwel Balthazaar, Rienzie Balthazaar, Ranjit David, V. A. Manoharathas, V. Muttucumaroe, Padma Patrick, Francis Leo, Lopez Fernando and R. Thurairatnam from Trincomalee completed the squad which was coached by the late Fr. R. Riemen, who was generally recognized as one of the best coaches in the country.
In 1967, Mr. L. A. W. Nadarajah coached our boys to the Junior National Championship.
This year, 1974, history has been again created in the field of basketball. Once again the boys from the Eastern Province proved their class when they beat the more fancied Colombo schools to win the Schools Senior Basketball Championship cup. St. Michael’s first beat St. Benedict’s, many-times-winner of the championship and odds on favourite again, by 58 to 56 points. In the final round, Michaelites beat the Peterites by three points in a very exciting match. When the whistle was blown for the close of the match score was 59 to 57, in favour of the Michaelites. The team was coached by Fr. E. Herbert, s.j.
Many of the outstanding players this country has produced took their initial steps into basketball at St. Michael’s and players of the caliber of Anton Nadarajah, Dodwel Balthazaar, P. Francis, Rienzie Balthazaar, Fatima Tisseverasinghe, Travis Balthazaar, Desmond Nadarajah, Titus Silva and a host of others won Public Schools or national Colours in this game. The college is indeed proud of them all.
1936 to 1974 is certainly a long period of time during which basketball at St.Michael’s made vast strides. The tremendous progress it made during those years could not have been achieved even during the span of a century, but for the dedicated zeal exhibited and the knowledge of the game imparted by the American Jesuits who introduced, nutured and developed this game among the boys of Batticaloa. To them, St. Michael’s owes a deep sense of gratitude.