CELEBRATED DRUMMER, COMEDIAN ,FOOTBALLER SUSIL PERERA’S,SONS ISURU AND LAKALA ARE ILLUSTRIOUS FOOTBALLER AND RUGGERITE OF GIGANTIC FAME VIA HERDITARY AFFILIATIONS – By Sunil Thenabadu
Hereditary Affiliations is proved beyond any doubt when considering the feats of footballer Susil Perera’s sons Isuru’s and Lakala’s sports achievements in Football and Rugby are reminisced from father Susil to the offspring, In this instance case it is the sports abilities of Susil Perera been passed on to the sons Isuru and Lakala who have triumphed in Football and Rugby representing mother Lanka bringing unblemished laurels to Sri Lanka’s sport having shone to unprecedented tall summits.Both Isuru and Lakala father Susil and mother Ruby Grace had admitted to St.Peter’s College Bambalapitiya.The duo Isuru and lakala having successfully achieved the much needed education had shone to tall summits in Football and Rugby respectively in the college and then in the famous clubs like Saunders SC, Havelocks and CH& FC and then going on to represent the national sides touring to many CELEBRATED overseas countries for tournaments of different magnitudes .coming out trumps to bring laurels to mother Sri Lanka The duo had simultaneously coached the teams of their Alma Mater and many other clubs.Both Isuru and Lakala are happily married with two and three children correspondingly attached to Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the Hatton national Bank as a junior executive and executive officer respectively. It need be emphasised that still the lifelong love of the duo is football and rugby could be added that it is sports blood the two possess
The sport football might not be in good shape currently as focus of many are in the T20 WC 2024cricket hosted jointly by the USA and the West Indies , but, there was a time when Sri Lanka was considered as a strong outfit in the 1990’s, at least in the South Asian region. This was evident when Sri Lanka became the runners-up at the 1st South Asian Football Federation Cup held in Pakistan in 1993. Again, at the 2nd edition in the 1995 South Asian Gold Cup, the boys from Sri Lanka won 1-0 over India in a thrilling final to clinch the title. In 1997 Sri Lanka were placed 4th, losing even to countries like Pakistan whom they had beaten very easily a couple of years ago. From the next edition onwards (1999) Sri Lanka football saw a complete decline for reasons perhaps unknowm.
When someone has been involved in one sport for over 30 years, holding various positions both on and off the field, you know that the personality becomes a Master and will leave with an unmatched legacy. The man whom the author going to pen down is one such personality who led the school football team, who played for the national team at the age of 18, having captained them, and who later became a school, club, and national coach.
Born on 11 January 1976 in Colombo to famous drummer Susil Perera (younger brother of famous singer Dr. Sujatha Attanayake) and to Rubi Grace Alfonso, Isuru Uditha Perera is the eldest of the family.The second sibling been sister Punna Erandathi,other the two brothers, Lakala Amila and Maduka Lakkitha made sure that his childhood was bursting with fun, laughter, love and warmth.
Susil and Ruby decided to enrol Isuru to St Peter’s College and the boy remained loyal to his Alma mater until he bid goodbye to his whites. It was common for any kid to fall in love with the bat and ball since cricket was, and is, most celebrated in the island, but Isuru had other philosophies and he decided to master the gentleman’s game played by the so called hooligans. Isuru’s father was not only a musician and a comedian but a good sportsman as well, who excelled in athletics and football having played for Saunders SC but nearly was selected to play for the national team been a staunch Saunders member,.
Father Susil had played football for Saunders SC reminisces Isuru but he was never selected to play for the national team, so his dream and ambition was to see Isuru excelling in the sport and one day representing the national team. He used to be Isuru’s first coach every evenings were spent dribbling the ball with him. It was Isuru’s father’s coaching that influenced Isuru to join the school football team,” Isuru remembered very well his baby steps taught by father into the sport.
Isuru joined the school team and not only his skills with the ball but his leadership qualities were also identified by coaches which made him to be skipper of the under-12 team. Well, the administers in football of the St Peter’s College could not find a better replacement to Isuru since his playing and leadership skills been top notch from a top drawer, so he continued being the skipper of the under-14, 16, and 18 teams respectively as well.
It was a coincidence, when he was playing for the U-12 team the school had to play a friendly match against the Saunders SC under-12 team. Isuru was able to showcase his aptitudes and talent abundantly to grab the attention of many who were present, had even netted two goals. Even though St. Peter’s lost 3-2, his impressive play was appreciated by many. Legendary Sri Lankan coach P.D. Sirisena was one among the ones who witnessed the match together with Dad Susil Peera who was present not only because his son was playing but since he was a Saunders SC player as well.
PD Sirisena was impressed by Isuru’s football skills Sirisena – without knowing that he is the son of Susil – commented: ‘If the No.10 playing for St. Peter’s joins Saunders, he could make him a better player.” Upon hearing this, Susil happily informed Sirisena that No.10 was his son Isuru.
With the aim of making Isuru a improved player, Susil decided to do what was best for him and enrolled him at Saunders SC. The kid was full of flairn and talent oozing, this was evident when he played in the Sumathipala Cup representing Saunders and was adjudged the best player of the tournament.This was a feather to his cap to which many feathers were added subsequently . The following year he was entrusted with the captaincy of the Saunders SC Under-14 team. This time the teenager led his team to win the Sumathipala Cup , was once again adjudicated as the man of the match in the finals.
Peterites usually play the annual football big match against the rivals the Josephians. The annual affair between the two colleges began in 1989. At the age of 13, Isuru was a member of the College team that played the first big match, but the teenager had to sit on the bench. But he played in five big matches and was adjudicated as best player in 1993 was adjudged as the man of the match in 1994.
His brilliance with the football saw him representing the national schools’ team, national youth team, and the national team while still being a school kid in 1994. Since 1994 he was a member of the national team until 2004. He captained the national team at the 2004 World Cup qualifying round in Indonesia.
Isuru did bid farewell to his Alma Mater in grand style by winning the best football player award for the years 1994/1995. The same two years he was awarded the most outstanding scorer and eventually grabbed the biggest accolade awarded to a Peterite in terms of sports in the annals of archives, the most outstanding sportsman of the year 1995, winning over the likes of national cricketer Russell Arnold. This was an award which he richly deserved since he was playing for the national team from 1994 onwards.
Isuru was in the squad as a standby player when Sri Lanka became the champions at the 1995 SAF Gold Cup. In the 1996 SAF Games we clinched the Bronze medal at which he was a member of the team. Once again, Isuru was a member of the national team that became the runner-up at the 1998 SAF Gold Cup. He had also represented Sri Lanka in three World Cup qualifying matches. Isuru had n about the start to his national football career.
While playing for Saunders SC from 1992, Isuru toured Pakistan and featured in the teams that won the Premier League and FA Cups. He had helped his team become champions in the Vijaya Kumarathunga trophy by scoring a goal in the final, walking away with the best player award. When representing Saunders SC, he played in the 1995 Provincial Tournament where his team became the champions, and once again he inevitably became the best player of the tournament.
While playing for Saunders and the national team, he also travelled to Sweden and represented I.F.C. Football Club in 1997 and got promoted to a division 2 player in 1998. He represented I.F.C. Football Club and Victory Sports Clubs in Maldives. I.F.C. became champions in 2002 and 2003, and he was adjudged best player in the final.
In 2006, Isuru migrated to the UK to attend a training programme conducted by the Gillingham Football Club for two months. Almost at the same time his wife too migrated with her family to do higher studies, so Isuru continued to stay in the UK after the training programme ended and played in Sunday league tournaments and won himself a few best player awards.
Coming back to the island in 2011, he decided to once again represent his club Saunders, till in 2013 he decided to hang up his boots. Isuru was now ready for the next step, which was coaching. He started coaching his Alma mater, St. Peter’s College from 2015 onwards until 2019. In 2016 apart from coaching his school he decided to be a club coach as well. He started by coaching the Pelicans Sports Club, Kurunegala during the 2016-17 season. 2017-18 season he coached Kalutara Blue Star and once again moved back to coach the Pelicans in years 2018-2019. In 2019 he got the opportunity to work as the assistant coach of the under-19 national team.
Due to Covid 19, from 2020 naturally there were hardly any sports activities taking place in schools. After the country returned to normal, Isuru restarted his school coaching career by coaching the Royal College lads for five months from January 2022. He decided to move back to St. Peter’s in May 2022 and is currently with the school which made him a champion footballer and a coach. Since year 2018 Isuru is also coaching at the Manchester Academy helping to harvest good young football players, and they have already succeeded in producing a few national players. When Java Lane Sports Club became the champions of the under-19 tournament last year, the team had nine players who were coached by Isuru at Manchester Academy.
‘Since 1999 Isuru have been working at the Petroleum Corporation and the support extended by them towards my national football career is immense. Isuru married Dushani Rajapaksha in year 2006 and am blessed with two daughters, Isuli Enakshi Perera and Shehal Elakshi Perera. Both daughters study at Lyceum International School. His eldest Isuli is in grade 10 and is involved with athletics. Shehali is in grade 3.
For any individual character sports adds so much value to the individual lives which was the identical to Isuru as well. Isuru adds today he is in this position because of his involvement in sports. Sports teaches each individual many lessons that books will not teach. Discipline, teamwork, time management, sportsmanship accepting victory and defeat, rising up after falling, how to handle pressure, how to handle different situations and people; these are few traits Isuru had learnt owing to his involvement in sports.
Isuru spends most hours of the day with the love of his life, football, and is planning to start personal football training unit in Colombo, any youngster or a beginner could join his coaching camp if they wish to excel in the sport.
While elder brother Isuru excelled as a footballer younger brother Lakala Amila. Shone to unprecedented tall pinnacles in the sport Rugby also following Isuru was a Rugby coach of sought after and repute in schools and clubs
It is rare manifestation undeniably to find a rugby player who can play in numerous spots unless he is an exceedingly accomplished and trained as a player .. Lakala Perera was one of them who could handle the rugby ball in innumerable spots. After fetched in several sporting disciplines as a schoolboy and later turned out to be a scintillating rugby player cum an excellent coach.
Lakala was born in 1981 as Drummer Susil Perera’s second son his father, a musician by profession who hails from a family highly involved in professional music. Ruby Grace is his mother who is a housewife. He has three siblings with elder brother Isuru another Peterite was a professional football player representing Saunders Sports Club later donned the National jersey. His elder sister is Erandathi who is a housewife while his younger brother is Maduka another Peterite following the footsteps of his father as a musician.
Lakala was admitted to St. Peter’s College, Colombo as a primary class student in year 1987 and went on to complete his higher studies by 2000. From his younger days in addition to been a keen student he was vastly involved in sports. He initially had joined the school basketball team followed by the cricket, soccer and rugby teams. He captained the basketball under-17 team in 1998 and dribbled the football to annex the ‘Best Player’s award at the big match in 1999 against their traditional rivals St. Joseph’s College, Colombo. Getting accustomed to rugbythe reason was primarily encouraged by one of his classmates Warren Peters, who was also a sportsman, who represented college in cricket and rugby.
He started playing in the under-13 team in 1992 coached by B.K. Ramachandran. Thereafter continued playing in the under-15 team coached by Kelum Senaratne and Shantha Dharmaratne while the under-17 team was coached by Sunanda Fernando. Lakala established a unvarying place in the College first XV Rugby team in the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Due to his fine performances, he bagged the ‘Best players’ award in 1999. He further grabbed the College colours for basketball and rugby for his impressive and immaculate performances. Gavin Ludowyke led the Peterites rugby team in year1999 which lost to Ananda in the semi finals under the coaching of Cicero de Fonseka. The 2000 season played under the captaincy of Gladwin Georgesz under the coaching of S.W.Chang where they went down to Kingswood in the semi-finals of the schools knock-out Rugby tournament.
Lakala played a dual role as fly half and at times as a scrum half during the most tenure of his school career starting from junior rugby. However, in 2000, in his final year in school, his coach S. W. Chang advised him to swap position in the back line as a wing three quarter, if he was intending to continue rugby up to a professional level, after noticing his ball handling skills. This bold move enabled him to represent Sri Lanka Rugby from 2001 to 2008 as a wing three quarter initially playing for prestigious Havelocks Sports Club.
To play for Havelock Sports Club was also inspired and instigated by S.W. Chang. Lakala locked horns for them from 2001 to 2005. With his participation there, he played a pivotal role in winning the under- 24 sevens and XV-a-side rugby in 2001 followed by the senior club sevens in 2001/02 seasons, when he was adjudicated ‘Best Player’ of the tournament in 2002. In year 2003, the Park Club won the President’s Trophy Knockout Tournament under Shafi Hassan’s captaincy. Sanjeewa Jayasinghe was his first captain in year 2001 and went on to play under Rajiv Sornaratne in 2002, under Miskin Deen in 2004, under Rajiv Ganapathy in 2005 respectively. Subsequently, he was stricken by an injury to his hand in 2006 which sidelined him the whole season.
Soon after Lakala’s recovery in year 2007, he decided to change clubs and scrum down with CH and FC. In year 2007, he played under Dilanka Wijesekera, in year 2008 under Jayantha Ranaweera, in year 2009 under Achala Perera, in year 2010 under Dinesh Sanjeewa and finally in year 2011.Lakala was entrusted to lead the Gymkhana Club to end his illustrious club rugby career which spanned over a decade. Tony Amit was his coach at CH and FC.
He got the National call to represent the ‘sevens’ team in year 2001 onwards playing in the Singer Sri Lankan Tournament from years 2001 to 2004. He also was a member of the Sri Lanka team at the Hong Kong Sevens in years 2002,2003 and 2008 while playing in the Dubai International Sevens in years 2001,2002 and 2003, where he was instrumental in scoring tries against Kenya, France and in South Africa sevens in 2003. He also took part in Asian Games in year 2002 and Commonwealth Games the same year. His XV-a-side representation with the National side was at the Asian Games in Korea in 2002 and the Rugby Asiad held in Sri Lanka in year 2007, where he scored four tries in the tournament. He was awarded the National Sporting Honours for Rugby in year 2008 by the National Sports Council. He also played in the Mercantile Sevens and later received the award for the Best player in the final in year 2002.
Lakala’s wife is Annaliza Jayasekara who is an architect by profession blessed with a son and a daughter , son is Javin schooling at St.Peter’s and daughter Leah. He has been working for Hatton National Bank since 2002 up to date function in the executive grade. Lakala continues his love for Rugby is serving as an assistant coach for Havelock Sports Club from 2018 to date.
The above achievements of sons Isuru and Lakala Perera should propel the minds of musician father Susil and housewife mother Ruby Grace who are both septuagenarians in their twilight years , the happiness would induce the duo for good health and longevity. The contributions the sons duo had made to Sri Lanka’s sports football and rugby should be etched in gold for all youngsters to emulate.
Sunil Thenabadu in BRISBANE
e mail sthenabadu@hotmail.com..
(I am a close family friend of Susil Perera from the decade of 1960’s was the best man for Susil’s wedding in year 1975)
