The 48th Saints Quadrangular Sports Tournament will be held on August 22 and 23 in Colombo. This year, Old Benedictine’s’ Sports Club will host this prestigious Old Boy’s sporting event.
The Benedictine’s’ will look to hosting this year’s event with extra enthusiasm as it coincides with their Schools Sesquicentennial.
It is the flagship event of the Old Boys of the four premier Catholic Schools in Sri Lanka, namely St. Anthony’s College Katugastota, St. Benedict’s College Colombo 13, St. Joseph’s College Colombo 10 and St. Peter’s College Colombo 04. Sports teams and Old Boys of these schools gather once a year as a tradition for camaraderie, fellowship and relive their glory years.
The Annual Saints quadrangular tournament was the brainchild of the Old Benedictines for their OBU Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1963. Various schools were invited for this inaugural tournament, but coincidentally only three schools responded namely St. Anthony’s College, Kandy, St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and St. Peter’s College, Colombo. Old Anthonian Ranjith Samarasekera is a pillar of strength of the Saints Quadrangular as he galvanized the OBU’s subsequent to the inaugural event and made this an annual event.
Originally the main cricket match among the past players of the four schools was played as a two-day encounter. But as years progressed, the organizers decided to convert the tournament into a much involving event by changing the tournament into a limited over’s competition. Also in 2002, organizer’s introduced a 25-overs per side cricket tournament for players above the age of 40. This drew the interests of many past Cricketers of yesteryear with some went onto represent Ceylon and Sri Lanka after representing these Schools in their hay days turning out once again for their alama-mater proudly wearing their College Crests. Then in 2004, basketball was introduced and this became a keen contest as these Quadrangular Schools do enjoy a rich tradition on Basketball in Sri Lanka. Of the four schools Old Benedictines enjoys this very much as they lead the tally since 2004.
In addition to Cricket and Basketball Tournaments, last year the organizers introduced 7-a-side Rugby to make the Saints Quadrangular appeal to a wider section of their past sportsmen and more exciting. The Event draws leading National and Club players who are hail from the four schools making it event more exciting when they fight it out in good spirit in their former school Colours.
The winning Basketball team of the Quadrangular Tournament will receive the Very.
The 2014 tournament hosted by the Old Peterites saw the hosts winning the Main Cricket plum While the Over 40s version was clinched by The Old Antionians. The Rev. Fr. Joe E. Wickremasinghe Trophy for Basketball was won by Old Benedictines’. The inaugural Ranjith Samarasekera Challenge Trophy’ for Rugby 7’s was won by the Old Joes.
A Saints Quadrangular Social will be held on August 22 from 7.00 p.m. on wards at Old Benedictines’ Sports Club Premises, with Live music, food stalls etc. Tickets are available with respective OBUs.
