Athletics fraternity shocked by the demise of A.T. Nugegoda

The track and field fraternity was shocked to learn the sudden demise of senior technical official Trevor Nugegoda, just two days after the veteran was seen officiating at the centenary National Athletics Championship at Diyagama.

The senior technical official who commanded the respect of his peers and the athletes alike was the National Technical Delegate at the historic National Athletics Championship. He was 88.

“Nugegoda’s genuine contribution to Sri Lanka Athletics over several decades is invaluable,” a note issued by the athletics governing body.

Athletics officials, former athletes and his peers paid tributes to Nugegoda on social media after his death was announced by Sri Lanka Athletics yesterday.

“You are one of the legends of Sri Lanka Athletics,” Lal Chandrakumara, a senior vice president of Sri Lanka Athletics said in a social media post.

G.L.S. Perera a senior vice president of Sri Lanka Athletics said that Nugegoda was leaving a huge vacuum hard to fill.

Nugegoda, who taught English at many schools including Sinhala MV, Jaffna and Nalanda College, Colombo was also the Prefect of Games at the premier Buddhist school in Colombo.

A former athlete, coach, and technical official, Nugegoda once held the secretary post of the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association and was the secretary of the Interim Committee of the SLAA in 1982.

He had been a member of the national selection committee since 1998 and became the chairman of that committee in 2007.

At the time of his demise, he was the chairman of the examination panel of Sri Lanka Athletics.

He was one of the very few officials to be felicitated by Sri Lanka athletics in 2014 for the yeoman service he has rendered to athletics.

Nugegoda who passed the technical officials examination in 1964 was felicitated by Sri Lanka Athletics when he completed 50 years of service in 2014.

(By Reemus Fernando /The Island)