Zahira College & Ananda College launch the Friendship Cup

Zahira College & Ananda College launch the Friendship Cup  

The Old Boys Cricket Wings of Zahira College, Maradana and Ananda College, Colombo have come together to play for the T.B Jayah Trophy which is to be played between the two teams after a 25year break. The match will be an one day 50 over per side game and will be played at Colombo Colts Cricket Club Grounds on Sunday 30th March 2014 commencing at 0930am. This is the first time such an event has been planned and the respective wings are hoping to make this an annual event in the future, to showcase unity and fellowship between the leading Buddhist and Muslim schools in Sri Lanka. The event is sponsored by Cargills Ceylon Ltd and Hameedia Group, who have come forward as the main sponsor for the event.



Tuan Burhanuddin Jayah (T.B. Jayah) was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician, diplomat and Muslim community leader. He started his teaching career in 1910 and was invited in 1917, by then principle of Ananda College, P.D.S. Kularatne, to teach History and Classics at the school. He was then invited by Zahira College to be their principal where he served for 27 years, under his stewardship, Zahira College became one of the leading schools in the country.

The Friendship Cup is being hosted to build the bridge between the two ethnic groups in the country and the organizers have planned out many fun events during the day. The spectators will be treated to a very special attraction the Under 11 Teams of the respective schools will be engaged in a five over per side soft ball game during the lunch break of the main cricket match.

Past cricketers and old boys of both schools will be invited for the event. Special guests at the event include Sri Lanka’s Cricket World Cup Winning Captain and a distinguished old boy of Ananda College – Arjuna Ranatunga will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest and Mr Imtiaz Bakeer Markar will be the Guest of Honour.