Galle Services Club

Last updated

Galle Services Club
GALLE SERVICES CLUB AT GALLE FORT SRI LANKA JAN 2013 (8553443995).jpg
Galle Services Club (January 2013)
Sri Lanka adm-2 location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Galle Services Club
Location within Sri Lanka
Former namesGalle Gymkhana Club (1885)
Galle Gymkhana Lawn Tennis Club
Galle Tennis Club
Address2 Rampart Street
Location Galle, Sri Lanka
Coordinates 6°01′47.8″N80°12′56.6″E / 6.029944°N 80.215722°E / 6.029944; 80.215722
Genre(s)Sporting and Social Club
Field shapeRectangular
Surface Hardcourt
Construction
Opened1947;77 years ago (1947)
Renovated2021
Website
www.galleservicesclub.lk

The Galle Services Club is a social and sports club in Galle, Sri Lanka, which was established in 1947. The club replaced the Galle Gymkhana Lawn Tennis Club, which was originally established in 1885 as the Galle Gymkhana Club.

Contents

History

In 1876 a racecourse was established on the Galle Esplanade. [1] [2]

In 1885 the Galle Gymkhana Club was established, [3] [4] and its first secretary was Charles Pickering Hayley (1848–1934), co-founder of the firm Hayley and Kenney (now known as Hayleys PLC Ltd). The club was initially limited to European residents, but with the increasing popularity of horse racing, membership was expanded to include Ceylonese.

The Galle Gymkhana Club was permitted, on nominal terms, to construct a tennis pavilion on grounds, within Galle fort, belonging to the municipality. In 1920 an island-wide open tennis tournament for which the best players from Colombo and elsewhere were able to enter, became a regular annual feature on the race and sports program of the Galle Gymkhana Club. [5]

In 1922 the club shifted its horse racing to the Manning racecourse, a 40 ha (100 acres) freehold site, at Boossa, [6] 8.0 km (5 mi) north of Galle, with stabling for 250 race horses. [3] The clubhouse however remained in its original location, within Galle fort.

The club was later renamed to Galle Gymkhana Lawn Tennis Club.

In 1956 the government banned gambling and betting in the country, [7] which resulted in the subsequent closure of the Manning racecourse. The racecourse has since been converted into a children's playground, opened by the Lions Club of Galle and named after Mahendran Amarasooriya.

In 2021 all four of the courts at the club were refurbished and made hardcourts. This, however, occurred with some controversy, with allegations that the club contravened local traffic laws, prohibiting heavy vehicles entering into the heritage Galle fort area. [8] On 19 February the refurbished courts were formally opened by Dr. Ramesh Pathirana (member for Galle) the president of the Galle Service Club, Dr Daminda Mandawala, and the president of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association, Iqbal Bin Issack.

Further reading

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombo</span> Executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka

Colombo is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, the Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the Municipality. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka, and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is itself within the urban/suburban area of Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galle</span> City in Southern Province, Sri Lanka

Galle is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, 119 km (74 mi) from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the capital of Galle District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galle International Stadium</span> Cricket stadium in Sri Lanka

Galle International Stadium is a cricket stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka, situated near Galle Fort and fringed on two sides by the Indian Ocean. It is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. Before being brought up to international cricket standards, it was known as 'The Esplanade', and is the home ground of the Galle Cricket Club. This Stadium is identified as one of the luckiest venues for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombo Cricket Club</span> Cricket club in Sri Lanka

The Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) is a first-class cricket club in Sri Lanka. It is the oldest in the country, having been formed in 1863, and is headquartered at 31 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7, close to the headquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. W. W. Kannangara</span> Sri Lankan politician and lawyer

Dr. Cristopher William Wijekoon Kannangara was a Sri Lankan Lawyer and a politician. He rose up the ranks of Sri Lanka's movement for independence in the early part of the 20th century. As a lawyer he defended the detainees that were imprisoned during the Riots of 1915, many of whom were the emerging leaders of the independence movement. In 1931, he became the President of Ceylon National Congress, the forerunner to the United National Party. Later, he became the first Minister of Education in the State Council of Ceylon, and was instrumental in introducing extensive reforms to the country's education system that opened up education to children from all levels of society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galle Face Green</span> Urban park in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Galle Face Green is a 5 ha ocean-side urban park, which stretches for 500 m (1,600 ft) along the coast, in the heart of Colombo, the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis, and rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombo National Museum</span> Museum in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Colombo National Museum, also known as the Sri Lanka National Museum, is a museum in Colombo and the largest in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1877 and maintained by the Department of National Museums, it holds collections of significant importance to Sri Lanka, such as the regalia of the Kandyan monarchs, as well as many other exhibits relating the country's cultural and natural heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Sri Lanka</span>

Rugby union in Sri Lanka is mainly played at a semi-professional and recreational level. It is a popular team sport with a history dating back to 1879. In 2012, according to International Rugby Board figures, there were over 160,000 registered rugby union players in Sri Lanka, making it the second largest rugby-playing nation in Asia, behind Japan.

Sport in Sri Lanka is a significant part of Sri Lankan culture. Although the Sports Ministry named volleyball the national sport, the most popular sport is Cricket. Rugby union is also popular. Other popular sports are water sports, badminton, athletics, football, basketball and tennis. Sri Lanka's schools and colleges regularly organize sports and athletics teams, competing on provincial and national levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hill Club</span>

The Hill Club is a gentlemen's club in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. Established 1876 by British coffee planters in the hill station of Nuwara Eliya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayleys</span> Sri Lankan conglomerate

Hayleys PLC, founded in 1878 by Charles Pickering Hayley, is a multinational and diversified conglomerate company in Sri Lanka, publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange with business spanning over 16 sectors, catering to 80 markets worldwide. Hayleys accounts for approximately 5% of Sri Lanka's export income, and 4.6% of the country's tea and 4.1% of its rubber production. With over 35,000 employees, Hayley was also the first listed entity in the country to surpass annual revenue of US$1 billion in Fiscal Year 2017/18. The company operates over 16 business sectors: eco-solutions, hand protection, purification, agriculture, consumer and retail, leisure, textile manufacturing, construction materials, plantations, industrial solutions, power and energy, transportation and logistics, BPO, tea exports, projects and engineering, and investments and services. Hayleys comprises over 180 business units and subsidiaries, twelve of which are publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Hayleys PLC is a public listed company with over 15,147 shareholders as of March 31, 2024. In addition to Sri Lanka, Hayleys today has manufacturing facilities in Indonesia,Thailand and India, with marketing operations in Australia, India, Bangladesh, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, UK, USA, France, Poland and Kenya, and its products are sold in 80 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka Tennis Association</span>

Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) is a national governing body of tennis in Sri Lanka founded in 1915, which represents Sri Lanka on associations like the International Tennis Federation and the Asian Tennis Federation. Its main aim is to popularise tennis in all parts of Sri Lanka as a professional sport and to produce top tennis players from Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort railway station</span> Railway station in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Fort railway station is a major rail hub in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The station is served by Sri Lanka Railways, with many inter-city and commuter trains entering each day. Fort Station is the main rail gateway to central Colombo; it is the terminus of most intercity trains in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maradana railway station</span> Railway station in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Maradana Railway Station is a major rail hub in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The station is served by Sri Lanka Railways, with many inter-city and commuter trains entering each day. It is the terminus of several intercity trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal line (Sri Lanka)</span> Railway line in Sri Lanka

The coastal line is a major railway line in Sri Lanka, running between Colombo Fort and Beliatta, via Galle and Matara. Operated by Sri Lanka Railways, the line includes some of the busiest rail services in the country. The line has been extended to Beliatta on 8 April 2019 and is proposed to be extended to Kataragama, via Hambantota. With a designed maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) between Kalutara and Matara, and a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) between Matara and Beliatta, the line is one of the fastest in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombo Racecourse</span> Sports venue in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Colombo Racecourse is a historical harness racing course in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. During the Second World War, it was used as a temporary airfield. In 2012, it was redeveloped as the Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex to become the first International Rugby Union ground in Sri Lanka to host all the national rugby union side's home matches.

The Methodist Church of Sri Lanka is a Protestant Christian denomination in Sri Lanka. Its headquarters is in Colombo and was established on 29 June 1814. It is a member of the World Council of Churches, the Christian Conference of Asia, the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka and the World Methodist Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuwara Eliya Racecourse</span>

Nuwara Eliya Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka is the only remaining horse racing venue in Sri Lanka. Situated 1,868 metres (6,129 ft) above sea level the race course is one of the highest in the world. The track has a circumference of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) with a 333-metre straight.

Peter Daniel Anthonisz was a Burgher doctor who was the first Ceylonese to obtain an M.R.C.P. and F.R.C.S. He was also the inaugural president of the Ceylon Branch of the British Medical Association and a member of the Legislative Council for nine years.

Edward Skinner was a British architect who was responsible for designing a number of landmark buildings in Ceylon.

References

  1. ↑ "Galle International Cricket Stadium".
  2. ↑ Jasentuliyana, Nandasiri (2016). Same Sky, Different Nights. Author House. ISBN   9781524600419.
  3. 1 2 Ferguson's Ceylon Directory. Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. 1962. p. 1153.
  4. ↑ "Historical glance at Galle". The Island . 20 November 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Sri Lanka. Minindōru Depārtamēntuva (1950). Brohier, Richard Leslie (ed.). Land, Maps & Surveys. Vol. 1–2. Ceylon Government Press. p. 97.
  6. ↑ Ceylon Today. Vol. 8. Ceylon Government Information Department. 1959. p. 27.
  7. ↑ "Don't Ban Races: Mammoth Petition To Kotelawala". Indian Daily Mail. 16 October 1955. p. 4.
  8. ↑ Liyanage, Mahinda P. (10 November 2020). "Galle tennis club allegedly flouts traffic laws". The Daily News . Retrieved 7 November 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.