Galle, Sri Lanka:
Cricket-obsessed Percy Abeysekera has been a constant presence at games in Sri Lanka since their first Test against England in 1982 – and not even the country’s worst economic crisis can keep him away.
Forty years ago, the man now fondly known as “Uncle Percy” accompanied England batsman Chris Tavare onto the pitch at the P Sara Oval in the capital Colombo while holding a Sri Lankan flag.
He is now 85 and has been a fixture ever since. He is allowed to take the field by the cricketing authorities of Sri Lanka to accompany the team after every match, whether winning or losing, while still carrying his flag.
And while he’s an avid supporter of his national team, he’s known for the respect with which he treats the opposition — unlike the sleds used by some teams’ fans, and even their players.
Of course, he was in Galle earlier this month as hundreds of protesters climbed the walls of the old fortress overlooking the ground during the second test against Australia to demand the removal of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The host country is experiencing its worst economic crisis since independence, with no foreign exchange to pay for essentials, such as fuel and medicines, and is leading to widespread shortages.
Hours later, an angry mob in Colombo forced the president to flee his home, and days after that, he flew abroad before submitting his resignation.
“The performance of our team is better than the performance of the politicians in Sri Lanka,” Abeysekera said.
“No politician can match these cricketers,” he told AFP. “They’re not politicians, they’re madmen.”
“I hate politics,” he added.
Abeysekera was twice invited to join the Sri Lankan cricket board but turned down the position.
“There are three things I don’t like in the whole world: one is politics, the other is cricket administration and the third is birth control,” he said.
His grandsons are named Garfield after the West Indian Sobers, the first batsman to hit six sixes in a first-class over, and Sachinka for Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar.
‘Honor the loser’
Cricket has offered Sri Lankans a welcome diversion from their country’s ordeal, with a 3-2 one-day series win over Australia followed by a 1-1 Test series draw.
Pakistan is currently touring the Indian Ocean island, with the hosts looking to bounce back from a first-Test defeat in Galle on Sunday.
Abeysekera has been working for a cable company for 59 years and friends and family provide his accommodation in various locations.
He took a bus from Colombo to Galle to attend the current series of matches but has to walk to the stadium without tuk-tuks.
“I have never seen such a crisis,” he said.
“I saw the world war, I saw the tsunami, I saw the LTTE attacks,” he added, referring to the Tamil Tigers who waged a separatist war for decades.
“This is something different, but somehow I manage to get to the ground.”
As a boy, Abeysekera watched Don Bradman play at the Colombo Oval in 1948, and nearly half a century later saw Sri Lanka beat Australia in Lahore to win the 50-over World Cup, one of his cricketing highlights in his life.
Abeysekera’s affable demeanor has won him the affection of even the opponents of his beloved team.
Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe once presented him with his man-of-the-match award and he was hugged by Virat Kohli during India’s 2015 tour to Sri Lanka and even invited into the visitors’ dressing room.
“Because when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name, he’s not writing that you won or lost, but how you played the game,” he says, quoting US sports journalist Grantland Rice.
“Play fair, cheer the victor and honor the loser.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)