19 March, 2024

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World Rugby To Investigate Educator & Trainer Sanath Martis Assaulting Rugby KId

World Rugby appointed Rugby Educator & Trainer and current coach of St. Peter’s College Sanath Martis has finally been captured on video assaulting a school boy in full public view at the Havelocks Sports Club rugby grounds.

This incident took place when St.Peter’s College played a friendly rugby game with D.S. Senanayake College recently.

The video when viewed sees Peterite utility player known affectionately as “Kadiya” to his team mates being called off the pitch and assaulted by coach Sanath Martis.

However since it was a friendly rugby game the Peterite rugby team were not playing in their official school rugby jerseys.

Despite having a reputation of being a strict disciplinarian who coached many champion school and club sides, it was always alleged that Sanath Martis had over the years physically assaulted many of his students.

All those previous assaults remained as mere allegations, as no victim in the past officially reported those incidents, which eventually were swept under the carpet.

Now this video footage finally lays to rest many allegations that were made against Sanath Martis all these years.

According to a commentator who took to social media in support of Peterite Coach Sanath Martis’ assault stated ” the coach was livid when the said player had kicked an opponent when he was fallen on the ground during an ensuing infringement during the game. He had called the player off the pitch and then slapped him several times on the side line in full public view”

When Colombo Telegraph contacted Ross Mitchell the Consultant General Manager of Asia Rugby the Asian arm that comes under World Rugby, he said I have not seen the video footage as yet.

However Mitchell went on to say “based on what I am hearing this behavior is totally unacceptable. After we see the video footage we will definitely contact the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union to investigate this matter.”

This incident which has now gone viral in social media circles has also had prominent sport personalities joining in with their comments.

Taking to Twitter Sri Lanka’s former national cricket captain Mahela Jayawardena wrote “This is wrong! It’s not coaching its abuse”. (By Janaka Ranaweera

Watch the video below:

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Latest comments

  • 8
    12

    Summa Nawarathnam the former rugby coach used to do the same thing

    • 45
      3

      No wonder ours is a violent country. One learns abuse and violence against others early in life here. Either at school from violent teachers & coaches. Otherwise from dumb parents who beat their children at home. In the worst case, we learn from the Police or Armed Forces who are there to protect us from violence. Most kids leave school thinking raw force is the only way to fix problems in society. Just recently there was an avalanche on social media against a judge who had convicted a school teacher for violence against a child. Stupid Sri Lankan society still truly believes this kind of abuse is for our own good.
      Cheers!
      PS: What is shown in this video is CRIMINALITY. Nothing less. Coach is a CRIMINAL. He should be dealt with accordingly. The coach should be locked-up, then condemned to compulsory community service and then ordered to undergo psychological counseling.

      • 13
        26

        Ben Hurling

        “No wonder ours is a violent country. “

        This was a very peaceful country and the inhabitants were peace loving until the Tamil Diaspora brought violence from abroad.

        I am sorry this is what I gathered from your typings over the last 10 years.

        • 3
          0

          Native Veddah,

          The Paras came from Southern India, Para-Sinhala and Para-Tamils, and strictly they are Indian Disapora, who brought violence to the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, and destroyed the environment.

          Are the Gods cursing the Paras?

      • 2
        0

        Excellent comment. Very well said. You are absolutely right. Why can’t many Sri Lankans, especially men, understand this basic truth is a mystery to me.

      • 1
        0

        Peace of thanks must go to the YAHAPALANAYA for allowing all
        departments of people to unleash their true potential in full open !
        This is the real ” we” and everything else is day to day short lived
        drama ! One psychiatrist recently disclosed that a fair amount of
        the population is suffering from MENTAL ILLNESS . If you closely
        watch you will find that more than 90% of the population is
        Depressed at home , school and work place and no gender
        discrimination. If you tell them the reason they will get closer to
        your face ! They blame everything and everyone but themselves !
        Everyone is racing to win a life that is not near to them ! We saw
        the violent culture in the law maker’s assembly itself . A place
        where 95% is

        • 1
          0

          continued …..

          A place where 95 % is dominated by white robed clean characters
          who are capable of real hooliganism at any given time ! Never mind
          which party they belong to ! How come a land becomes beautiful
          with hypocrites ? J R J wouldn’t have ever imagined what free market
          will do to this country . Socialism will be worst in this country . What
          will then work for us ?

      • 0
        0

        Sri Lanka is less violent than countries like USA, rest of subcontinent. You should read more into the world affairs. Sri Lanka is a much safer place after LTTE terrorism was eradicated.

    • 1
      12

      Biso Manike.

      Ladies should stop patronizing Rugby grounds until coaches stop assaulting players/in protest of the incident for a month.

    • 13
      0

      We become just hurt by watching this video how the boy is physically assaulted by his teacher.- in Rajapakshe adminstration, even Ambassadors were beaten down and nothing was investigated since the civil cutlures were far from their lives.
      :
      And there is a larger portion of the country that would just ignore even BROAD DAY light murder if Rajapakshe family would commit it… that was how they killed a brilliant rugby player, by name Wasim Thadjudeen- all these were just for their fun. No different to similar hobbies of north korean leader. Entire family is caught by the investigation, however, SILLYSENA s interference seems to be blocking the proper investigation.
      .
      What Thadjudeen s mum goes through is akin to tantalus torments. But heartless SO CALLED sinhala buddhists usually play with the deaths:::: no matter prima facie evidence would heap up as EVIDENCE….. slaves would rally round the RAJAPAKSHES family, even if further alike MURDERS would be perpetrated, the chances to get them caught is not that high…. human shields will protect them.
      :
      Not alone killed the sportler BOY only, but a fairy tale was fabricated the boy to have met with a brutal accident and that should have killed him.
      :
      Thanks to Good governance govt got rid of MAFIA boss by 2015, and what came to light was, Rugby player s death was a murder.

      .
      Later what revealed further on the murder, they had even robbed of the body parts of the victimized player ( dead body parts were frozen and were found frozen in a lab of SAITM medical college).
      .
      Tasteless, peityless Rajapakshes killed the boy, for sure and made every effort to paint the death so as to have resulted by an accident.
      .
      All of the truthful information regarding this murder is collected, but right at the momement, in cumbent president blocks the INVESTIGATION, since he is fallen back to the LAP of RAJAAKSHE for his extension:

    • 2
      0

      He was another scumbag

    • 1
      0

      Does’nt make it right although Summa is a living legend .

    • 0
      0

      No he didn’t

  • 42
    5

    Sanath Martin,

    You are ‘civilized ‘, as you have only assaulted the player. See what another ‘trainer’ did to another rigger player Thagudeen . They killed him, aided and abetted by the Rajapaksa coaches.

    • 21
      1

      Absolutely, Amarasiri.
      .
      Until cases like the Thajudeen murder are investigated to a finish, there’s no point our getting shocked at these misdemeanours, which are little in comparison.
      .
      The more we highlight cases like this, the more we, too, aid and abet in sweeping the really serious cases under the carpet.
      .
      Please don’t take my comment as a justification for the sort of thing reported here, or as belittling the concerns expressed by a decent man like Ben Hurling. At this moment there are only four comments on display.
      .
      Taken over-all, what these little stories show is that we have short memories and the real villains (the Rajapaksas) are still free to do as they please.

      • 4
        1

        SM,

        I read somewhere that you were a teacher. Were you prone to violence? :))

        Violence can be physical or verbal ……… good ol’ Native Vedda who is into physical non-violence in a big way …….. is prone to verbal-violence towards his detractors in a big way ………. we have this one-upmanship about “non-violence” going between the two of us :)) …….. We might both end up as Buddhas!

        “Until cases like the Thajudeen murder are investigated to a finish, there’s no point our getting shocked at these misdemeanours”

        That depends on our expectations ………. subconsciously, we expect more from a teacher/coach; especially of a Catholic school ………. in the case of the Rajapakses – we know who they are – and have already subconsciously made allowances not to expect much. …….. It all depends on our expectations. Strange but true.

        If a person has a “moral/ethical foundation” out of deep conviction (or due to religion/philosophy) ……….why is that a man/woman has two different modes of behaviour in two different countries? ………. I come to Lanka several times a year and every time the first day I’m scared out of my wits to drive ……. gingerly nudge the car into traffic ……. but by the second or the third day I’m as – or even more – aggressive as the local drivers. Where did my “deep-conviction ethics” go?

        Why did Gota who displayed impeccable behaviour in the USA ………. turn in to a degenerate serial-killer back home?

        • 5
          0

          nimal fernando

          Thanks for referring to me when you come across any news on violence.
          Please read:
          My non-violence does not admit of running away from danger and leaving dear ones unprotected. Between violence and cowardly flight, I can only prefer violence to cowardice. I can no more preach non-violence to a coward than I can tempt a blind man to enjoy healthy scenes.

          Gandhi, Young India, 28 May 1924

      • 5
        0

        continued

        I’m sure you have read Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” ……….. how Kurtz travelling deep into “un-civilization” ……….. lost the plot.

        “Kurtz is shown as the ultimate proof of this “kinship” between enlightened Europeans and the “savages” they are supposed to be civilising. Kurtz had once written an idealistic “report” for an organisation called the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs. When Marlow finds this manuscript among Kurtz’s papers, however, it bears a hastily-scrawled addendum: “Exterminate all the brutes!” The Kurtz that Marlow finally encounters at the end of the novel has been consumed by the same “forgotten and brutal instincts” he once intended to suppress.”

        The horror! The horror! …… eh? :))

        • 3
          0

          Dear “nimal fernando” and others, too.
          .
          When we were kids we were caned regularly, but other forms of violence were “frowned upon”. There wasn’t the same level of enlightenment as now.
          .
          To give you an honest answer, there were a few occasions when I also was “prone to violence”, but I think that I was always aware that it proved that in the circumstances I had failed to achieve respect through more civilised methods. It’s an uncomfortable acknowledgment to make, and I think that the present rules are sensible, but not the way that there is no understanding that teachers too are human.
          .
          I don’t condone the action of this rugby coach. It looks as though this is habitual behaviour on his part, and in an environment that is now more “enlightened”, at least in theory.
          .
          Yes, I’ve read Conrad – and Kafka. It is good to be aware how depraved any human being can become. We must combat barbarism. It is having thought all that out that I say that the murder of Thajudeen must be investigated.
          .
          Babansincho, I have two daughters, five years apart. I got Tamil taught to the elder. Yes, I cry at the result. She was taken in by the Police as a suicide bomber . . . . What’s the use relating all that. She still suffers the effects, in many ways.

      • 5
        0

        Mr Sinhala Man,
        .
        What would you have done, if the murdered player was a grand child of yours ?. I am telling, you if this crime was done to my family, I would have gone to mad.. I would not have stopped … doing all what I can do just to see due justice.
        .
        Why our Lawyers/judges stay mum on this heinous crime ? As a victimized mother, her torments may have been similar to that of tantalus right. That family hoped very much at the time, the alleged killers were defeated by 2015 PE. However, the pledges made by SILLYSENA, are still there. The situation for Ekanligoda and Lasantha s family is the same.

    • 20
      0

      Amarasiri

      Did Sanath Martis train Yoshitha Rajapaksa?

      • 5
        0

        Native Vedda,

        “Did Sanath Martis train Yoshitha Rajapaksa?”

        Amarasiri does not think so. Amarasiri suspects it was his uncle Gotabaya Rajapaksa who trained Yoshitha Rajapaksa. After all Gotabaya Rajapaksa wanted to hang Sarath Fonseka.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6UMvrt0AXQ

        Rajapaksa government’s disturbed defence secretary Gotabaya says ‘Sarath Fonseka will be hung”

        • 5
          0

          Amarasiri

          Watch this:
          https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=342625086585122

          He believes he is a statement sounds in his screeching noise, he says the young have evaluated his profession, dedication, efficiency and discipline.
          He may be an efficient, disciplined dedicated professional hangman void of any wisdom.
          Listen to him and you will see how isolated this national hangman from the people.
          Why doesn’t he meet the victims and victim’s kith and kin in the North and South? Is it because there are minorities (OTHERS) their life and votes don’t matter as the public racist Dayan faithfully believe so.

    • 0
      2

      “Two wrongs don’t make a right”.

      • 3
        0

        SK

        ““Two wrongs don’t make a right”.

        How about three or more wrongs?

      • 0
        0

        SK

        “Two wrongs don’t make a right”.

        But the very foundation of the judiciary and justice system is based on the concept ‘Two wrongs DO make a right’. Someone is found guilty done ‘wrong’ and he is punished and a ‘wrong’ is done to him.

    • 0
      0

      This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2

    • 1
      0

      Thaju’s trainer’s name is connected to that crime?

  • 15
    2

    He has punished the utility player soon after the latter was found in the wrong as a sportsman under this particular coach. The coacher has acted in good faith but he shouldn’t have abused the power by using a third-degree method which is an insult to the utility player.

  • 19
    3

    Martis has been doing this criminal punishment firstly to students at isipathana college rugby at under 15 level when he started coaching the junior that is the exact reason he was never appointed head coach at his own school isipathana .our rugby committee knew his serious weakness in 1989 he assaulted a senior rugby player in the team during a coaching camp and the entire rugby team went to assault him but we old boys saved him from a good punishment a medicine of his own thus martis ended his rugby career in coaching in 1992 after being the assistant coach to MPF sallay and Japanese coach Yasuda he never coached isipathana thereafter he undertook coaching at St Anne’s kurunegala and then came to Wesley college with players of St Anne’s school players being poached to play for Wesley during his coaching at Wesley. Then thru backdoor influence he was again bought to isipathana when isipathana rugby was down to mediocre performance he took over in 2002 and ended in 2004 demoting isipathana to B division for the first time in the rugby history of isipathana college after losing 8 A division games in 2004 Isipathana had to play B division rugby for two years in 2005 and 2006 .Martis was also involved in the 1991 rugby suspension for one year due to his fraud to register a player by him aiding to produce a forged Birth certificate his character has coach is not ethical to the rugby at all .if u look at the IRB manual martis is not fit to coach schools his survival for the last thirty years is poaching doping and players abused and assaulted fear physco is inflicted to the players brain during training. The players in fear of his assault before and after the game perform the miracle .another aspect is he poached players from poor school with skills and then deprive schoolboys of the school he is coaching after 2004 he took over st Peter’s until 2012 during these years many of wins were due to poaching of several players including ishan noor from Zahira to st Peter’s. Then herath of maliyadeva to st Peter’s. Danushka Ranjan from piliyandala central many other players one time st Peter’s team had 8 outside players and during the game team introduction players could not sung the st peters college anthem .his serious fraud is drinking and clubbing with patents of players and the referees society members he has a huge networking in the referees society almost entire referees panel is supporting martis and his team during a game .he entertains them every week for a drink at havelocks .This is how he manipulates the game to win but when foreign referee is nominated all his plans go haywire take into account last week CH vs havelocks .HAVELOCKS lost although in top form u can check from all other clubs and coaches how the local referees support martis he is spending 50% of his club and school coaching salary of around Rs 1 million together from st Peter’s and havelocks 30% on referees entertainment this is his survival this is like the drug mafia where winning school games and club games to championship for his side he gets the credit for winning and all the EGOISTIC old boys of leading schools are behind him .Even the royal rugby management was taken for a ride due to influence of current rugby union president he coached royal and royal won in one year but all the hard work was done by royal old boy dushan LEWKE finally royal old boys knew what martis was upto he also poached players from science college and piliyandala central for royal one of the players is janidu dilshan who plays for CR club as centre this year .in 2010 st Peter’s captain gurusinghe was caught doping and at the inquiry he mentioned that his trainer and coach fave a tablet before the game and at half time performance enhancing drugs even players like sharo Fernando Dilanka wijesekara have known to have taken to serious doping Dilanka had to cut short his rugby career due to after effects of doping .Then Sharo Fernando is well known all these players are products of sanath martis .everyday u can’t play hide and seek the culprit will come to the light of the public now the sports ministry should take serious action this is in violation of human rights and also violation of IRB ethics of the game rugby is fair game no person can be taken for assault or corporal punishment why are the old boys of schools management of the game are silent ????but when a student is assaulted by a school teachers or masters during education we make a big hue and cry to complain or file legal action against schools and the teacher involved .but egostic parents turn blind eye for assault and punishment meted out to their children at rugby practice as they feel by hook or by crook to include their son in the rugby team to witness the poor children to represent their school at bradby match or any other school rugby trophy encounters to show their sons pride in playing the oval game .but at what cost are you parents and old boys are putting these poor children under such coach who conducts himself like the head of a torture chamber in schools rugby this is very reason where his own Alma Mata isipathana college have not sought after him for coaching isipathana rugby since 2004 debacle in demoting to B division .although isipathana rugby is in dire straight since 2018 they prefer to get an 65 year old Viper jnr to coach as Martis is so deadly the players coming for practice will give up the game due to his attitude and moron behaviour to assault children during training. Once st Peter’s old boys kicked martis out and the st peters old boys who were in control of the SLRFU hoodwinked the rugby union council and forced him to be the national rugby development coach but he could not perform and he failed miserabally and the rugby union gave him the boot .in vain SLRFU paid him a salary of Rs 300.000 plus transport and fuel no development only thing he made a huge commission on the water bottle business supplied to srilanka rugby team .Mr Rohan gunaratne will vouch for this fraud??? Finally once again a vice president of the union supported with Royal college assignment that too paid the price .when he was royal coach he promoted to play Milo knockout without a neutral venue but isipathana diehards fought and got the royal authorities to agree at neutral venue the Milo knock9ut in 2016 where royal were beaten by 49/7 highest ever rugby lost royal had lost in their rugby history not only to isipathana but to the entire school rugby teams this 8s the story of Martis once again st Peter’s have taken martis to become champions 8n rugby by poaching doping and assault on players. Will this act go Scot free with the schools authorities and the srilanka schools rugby or the SLRFU or the sports ministry or the human rights association????Will the spineless parents come forward to arrest this situation without selling your children to coaches for ur egostic objectives to bring fame to ur son by forcing him to continue sports under these coaches at very bad environment and conditions?????
    A concerned parent

    • 14
      2

      This comment is over three times longer than the article itself.

      So much for C T’s 300 word limit on comments.

      • 7
        2

        Spring Koha

        “This comment is over three times longer than the article itself.
        So much for C T’s 300 word limit on comments.”

        Actually it contains 1251 words, bit more than 4 times.

        The CT editor must have been bribed, or fallen asleep, tired of reading boring typing, … .
        What do you think?

        • 4
          0

          Spring Koha and Native Vedda,

          An occasional narcolepsy by the CT word counter? Was it narcolepsy by the Rajapaksa administration when tigger player Yhsjudeen was murdered?

        • 4
          0

          Native Vedda

          I admire your precise observation.

          You have give an attractive range of choices. All acceptable, EXCEPT for ‘bribed’. Please God, I would hope that CT editors are not likely to take bribes.

          • 2
            0

            Spring Koha

            “EXCEPT for ‘bribed’. “

            This would have woken him/her up.

            I just want to ask you this. When are you going to record all your experiences wealth of knowledge, history for future references?

            • 4
              0

              Native Vedda

              Your question has for a fleeting moment given me a big head. Made me pompous. Could I? Should I? I have eight decades + of observation, experience, and opinion waiting to get out. Whenever I comment I fall back on all that.
              Better people than I have written, has anybody taken notice? I have learnt to never say never. Who can predict what the future holds?

              • 3
                0

                Dear Native Veddah and Sinhala Man. CT Editor must have been tired or even travelling while he approved this comment.
                We all make mistakes.
                In a world where we say ” never say never” I would still say Uvindu Kurukulasuriya would NEVER take a bribe.
                Actually, I’m pretty sure the two of you are favourite readers of his.
                Best wishes
                Grusha

                • 2
                  0

                  Dear Grusha,
                  .
                  That was Native Veddah and Spring Koha (identity still unknown to me) between whom there was that exchange, with Amarasiri also contributing. I once came across an even longer comment. That is I copied it on to a Word Document and then got a word count; it was over 1,600 words long.
                  .
                  However, if one is writing a long comment it is sensible to first have it as a Word Document and chunk it into many parts. And as you well know, if one takes a bit of trouble proofreading with a view to lopping off a few words is always sensible. It considerably improves the piece.
                  .
                  I try to tell the plain truth as much as possible, and I make my identity known, but there is a good case also for keeping identity hidden provided the comments are always fair. One does appreciate the good things in CT, but I sometimes wish there was more censoring of rubbish. And we are on to the third article on Martis. When are we going to publicise that again? It’s fantastic that you are writing in Sinhala as well. However, you must get that published in the most read Sinhala newspaper – Lankadeepa?
                  .
                  I’m in Bandarawela, but I try to find out what is happening in Education elsewhere in Sri Lanka.
                  .
                  Let me continue as another Part. Easier than word counting.

                • 2
                  0

                  PART 2
                  .
                  Grusha,
                  .
                  I really cannot see any on the horizon as successful Presidential candidates except a Nagananda backed by the UNP or the Rajapaksas who must be defeated at all cost. The JVP is unlikely to put forward a serious candidate since it will reveal how little support they have nationally. The reason is because of their reign of terror thirty years ago.
                  .
                  Although our turn out at Elections is high, one meets too many people who claim never to have voted. I think that you must write a few articles to show the public that voting for minor candidates of known integrity is sensible. It doesn’t need a prolonged search with about 15 candidates normally contesting (although some are fake, put there by opponents of the main candidates owing to similarity of name, etc). Few know that you can thereafter indicate a PREFERENCE for the less dishonest main candidates. Three Preferences possible. These links may help – not you, but the average voter!
                  .
                  http://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/es/ese/ese01/ese01c
                  .
                  The only somewhat similar system in use is to select the Mayor of London:
                  .
                  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_London_mayoral_election
                  .
                  It is good to vote initially for a minor figure who is honest, but few will heed that advice when there is only one round of voting. One close election will make some people understand, but it will be digested by the majority only when there has to be a second treck to a polling booth, as happens in France etc.
                  .
                  Since we are discussing schools here, how is it that attention has not been drawn to what is happening at St John’s, Jaffna? The priest-Principal has been reported by a thirty-year-old male teacher for kissing and groping him. Being investigated by a retired District Judge, after initial attempts to hush it up.
                  .
                  Also shocking states of affairs in the Branch Schools of S. Thomas’. I feel that the Mt Lavinia school (the last of the three that I attended) is all right.
                  .
                  The problem is where to start, I guess. Very few “all right” places in the country.
                  .

    • 1
      2

      Ajith
      You have accused a lot of people of some serious offences here , most of them young sportsmen who are well known .I do not think this is acceptable. If at all you should have made an official complaint to the authorities concerned.

    • 1
      0

      are you accepting the responsibility of mentioning the facts that dilanka had to leave the game and go abroad because of doping issues ? this is a very serious allegation.

    • 2
      0

      Is this not too long?

  • 3
    1

    Yes! The act caught on camera could well be illegal and unacceptable by 21st century standards. But the reality is physical assault by coaches on their young players was the done thing and inherited as a legacy from the British Raj. As to whether it prevails in UK is yet to be seen and if so it will be hush! hush! The real issue is if we adopt a practise of zero tolerance for any form yester-year’s remedy for disciplining then what practises must be put on place for effective disciplining. Although there must be changes still no civilized substitute is yet in place for “Spare the rod and spoil the child”. Similarly a coach might say “Spare the slap and spoil the novice”. It was shocking but true when a very senior doctor told me in private that he used to use filth and slap young intern doctors for recalcitrance. He further added that all of whom were moulded by him are grateful for the harsh guidance they received and they, now in their own right, are professionals of no mean repute.

    • 8
      1

      Is this the same doctor who used to give his wife a good thrashing every night after dinner?

      Violence of any sort is unacceptable. It is a sad acknowledgement that your powers of persuasion by reasoning has failed if you have to resort to violence to get your points across.

      • 3
        0

        Spring Koha

        “Violence of any sort is unacceptable. It is a sad acknowledgement that your powers of persuasion by reasoning has failed if you have to resort to violence to get your points across.”

        It appears Anagarika Homeless Dharmapala’s Protestant Buddhism has not helped the people what they ought to have learnt. The skewed Pancha Maha Balavegaya nation building process not only has failed but failed miserably, violence was freely permitted to reign, from 1956 to 2015. Banda and Rajapaksa let the genie out now rest of the people are paying for it.

        I am sure this brute must be having good connections to ruling elites, irrespective of party affiliation. He can fix anything.

        By the way one more sad story:
        Child hit by principal for saying butterflies don’t have legs
        2019-02-11
        A 6-year-old student, who allegedly received a whack on the back of his body from his principal for writing that butterflies have no legs, has been hospitalized, the child’s mother said.
        dailymirror.lk

        • 2
          0

          Native Vedda,

          The Homeless One, SWRD, JR, were all educated, from ‘good’ homes, and demagogues. But they failed the true leadership test. They were found wanting when the time came to act. Each had the opportunity to unite us, but they opted for the forked road of division.

          Rugby coach Martis has survived for too long – abusing those in his care, under the misguided notion that his form of violent punishment will do good. It will not. It will only lead weak people to thinking that it will ‘make a better person’ of the person being punished. It is high time he, and people like him, was stopped.

          • 2
            0

            Spring Koha

            I completely agree with you.

        • 1
          0

          NV

          I feel sorry for the poor six-year-old child if only he had done his homework properly and read President Sirisena’s recent speech about butterflies in parliament he would have got the answer right Don’t you think?
          Got to feel sorry for the principal too here idiot’s probably confused.

  • 7
    0

    Surely World Rugby should have known that the ‘Sanath Martis type’ physical assault is common here.
    Not restricted to educator, coach or trainer.
    Former MP Merwyn Silva has said that he got used to MR-assaults.
    Uniformed Services commence investigation with a good assault – often on complainants.
    Prison Officers rehabilitate prisoner with assaults.
    .
    The Thajudeen assault that went wrong – ever so slightly.

  • 5
    0

    Uncivilized way of treating players. Coach have forgotten the consequences of his act.

  • 8
    0

    No, no way a civilised world should allow this kind of behaviour from any one, and this third grade method is unacceptable by any length. This coach should be held accountable for his despicable action. A coach should be the father figure who the players look up to bring out the best in them. Sri Lanka Ruby and World Ruby – should move fast on this and deal appropriately to set a good precedent for the future of ruby in Sri Lanka and the rest of the world. Over to you, young sport minister, we know your hands are full but you should put your officials on their toes to clean up and get Sri Lankan sports to all the heights it should reach.

    • 5
      2

      Zain

      “This coach should be held accountable for his despicable action.”

      Accountability in this island.
      You can’t be serious.

      “No, no way a civilised world should allow this kind of behaviour from any one, and this third grade method is unacceptable by any length. “

      Don’t be silly.
      There have been many incidents in which hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were arbitrarily subjected to violence leading to death and serious injuries.

      Here we not only tolerate violence but reward them with promotions, status, cash, ….. turn a blind eye on their criminal acts.

      You should be praising the coach (another ranaviru, patriot,.. perhaps) …… for disciplining the player or the boy. He did that in the interest of his future.

  • 7
    1

    I got to know Sanath Martis in the mid 80’s when he was a player through mutual friends living in Thimbirigasyaya. I remember him a mild mannered person and a simple man and always knew her was a good player. I was quite shocked to see this footage of the assault and am condemn this wholeheartedly. This is not the way a coach should behave whatever the circumstances may be. If the said player didn’t play the game in the spirit of the game, You Martis, have acted in an even worse way than the said player. I am no longer a fan of yours. They say, in life, you reap what you sore, and I hope the authorities take stiff action against you for this ‘Chandi’ act of yours. Being a sportsman yourself, you should be ashamed of yourself and know that violence is not part of any sport and certainly not including in any coaching manuals as well. You should be thanking your lucky stars that no person/player/parent or student of yours in the game has not extracted a tooth or two of yours and made any alterations to your face. SLRFU, over to you to take appropriate action on the matter swiftly and impartially as I am aware that there are many who played the game with you who are now at SLRFU.

  • 6
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    Until world rugby starts investigation nobody seems to have taken the matter seriously.

    St Peters principal, the student’s class teacher, friends & parents too must be questioned for their silence over the matter.

    The student or his parents should have complained the matter to the police @ the earliest possible time after this inhuman assault.

    Corporal punishment is prevalent in primary schools as well but HRCSL are silent on it.

    HRCSL must be taken for the task.

    Assaulting culture must be eliminated @ any cost.

  • 2
    0

    This is inhumane. this Player should sue the coach for damages both mental and social.

  • 2
    0

    This is something that has always been going on. No one has ever commented on it until it was on cam. Sanath didn’t assault a boy in closed doors he did it publicly because this was accepted . It should be stopped and the indecent dealt with but don’t talk about past and dig in to it if you were silent then. He is a good man and he did what he thought was right although it isn’t.

  • 0
    2

    Violent games need violent methods.

    • 2
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      Shrikharan

      Violent games!

      Only idiots are violent in games.

      • 0
        0

        Real Revolutionist

        Rugby is a tough game and you need tough methods to become tough. You can’t be a softy in a game of rugby then better play marbles.

        • 1
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          Shrikharan

          Oh boy, people like you may use rough methods to become tough.

  • 6
    0

    This is disgusting and I cannot understand what the father of this by has done. Why is the Police silent? St. Peters had another teacher who beat a boy and broke him arm sometime ago. Abuse like this is common in Catholic schools. The school must be telling the children’s parents that complaining against this abuse is going against the religion. This bastard must be taken to task.

  • 1
    0

    Biso, I fully agree. I think Mohan Shyam was the best referee Sri Lanka ever had though he took into refereeing afterwards. Like Summa Nawarathnam Lionel Almeida was another notorious character, uppish to the core and very bias to his own clan.

  • 0
    0

    The condemnation of Martis the thug is very encouraging. He should face criminal charges for assault and even more so on a person who was unable to defend himself or retaliate in defense. I assume this boy is under 18 and therefore not an adult. I like to draw the attention of commentators and readers to a campaign being carried out under the header “Stop Child Cruelty”, with the objective of banning corporal punishment in schools and pressing for appropriate training for teachers. What happened with Martis and this boy happens to many children throughout the country. Some would have read of the recent instance when a Principal hit a student because she had said Butterflies don’t have legs, and ended up having to get treated in a hospital. Most such cases are unreported due to fear, interference by school authorities themselves, the Police and politicians. There are cases of many other children having been so badly injured, they have had to have medical treatment in Hospitals. Like Martis, who no doubt was or is a frustrated individual, many teachers are also frustrated due to many reasons, and they tend to vent their anger on helpless students. This has to stop as children cannot defend themselves and they are totally helpless.

  • 0
    1

    To most of us who grew up as students in the 60s,70s and 80s as students, this is normal and society was better disciplined as a result. Since the Advent of ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ in schools in later years, children grow up indisciplined and unable to face dissappointments in life, hence, the increase in suicides etc. This disciplining of the boy should be taken in the right spirit. I’m sure he will learn from this and become a great player who values fair play and non violence on the field. He is lucky to learn this lesson at this stage of his career. If Sam Warburton had been punished similarly, early in his career, for using the spear tackle’,he would never have used it in the would cup semi final, which lead to a red card and Wales losing the opportunity to win the world cup.

    • 1
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      CitizxenX……..you write
      ‘To most of us who grew up as students in the 60s,70s and 80s as students, this is normal and society was better disciplined as a result.’

      I beg you pardon sir! I remember the 50’s 60’s 70’s.80’s and clearly recall what I witnessed. Grown men beaten up in the street etc etc.etc. So, I think that we as a society accepted vicarious acts of violence in the classroom, sport ground, or in the street as acceptable. If we have learnt anything, it is that violence breeds violence. From parent to child to grandchild and on and on it goes.When will we take a firm stand and say “STOP”?

  • 2
    1

    Native Vedda / February 15, 2019

    “This was a very peaceful country and the inhabitants were peace loving until the Tamil Diaspora brought violence from abroad.”

    What a load of crock and a pile of horse manure you are dishing out!!
    No Native nor a Vedda will have the low level intellect that you seem to possess.

    Please go back and read history before you shoot off your ill informed, foul mouth in this forum.

    Where were you in 1915? and in 1958, 1972, 1977, 1983?

    Where were you in 1971 when an armed insurrection was forged against the democratically elected government. It was not the Tamil youth nor the Tamil diaspora that was responsible that left tens of thousands of youth dead in the deep South of Sri Lanka.

    Ill informed racist beings like you open your mouth and make statements that you cannot back up.
    Freedom of speech does not give you the right to pollute this forum with your low intellect.
    Do us all a favor – stay away from this forum where intelligent views are expressed – for an against the topic of discussion.
    Stay on the sidelines and watch how an intelligent debate and discussion takes place. Then in about five years, maybe you can join us.

    Now crawl back under the rock you came out of.

    • 1
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      Kumar Chandrakumar

      Read my comment in its entirety. This is part of an ongoing discussion between Ben and Native. FYI I have copied and pasted it here:

      Ben Hurling

      “No wonder ours is a violent country. “

      This was a very peaceful country and the inhabitants were peace loving until the Tamil Diaspora brought violence from abroad.

      I am sorry this is what I gathered from your typings over the last 10 years.

  • 1
    1

    Sissies don’t play rugby ! It’s not for them. There seems to be a very thin line between disciplining and abuse ….
    In the past this was considered as normal practice but do we know how many of them were maimed or became terrorists. Discipline and sportsmanship was high then, is it the same now ??

    Cut the crap and bring back coaches who can discipline these types and players who can take it ‘like a man’

  • 5
    0

    Our Parliament sets the standard for assaults !!

  • 3
    0

    All those previous assaults remained as mere allegations:

    The commentator is announcing the player had kicked an opponent when he was fallen on the ground during an ensuing infringement during the game///

    What about the previous assaults, and this is the continuation If player has done mistake can physically harm him the player should corrected with disciplinary action. What happens if had traumatic injuries such as fractures to the head, that we have heard before.
    Now the the rugby educatore is to be educated, Confidence comes from discipline and training.
    not as shown in this vedio.

  • 2
    0

    Well done Sir and you have to be in the parliament. Ideally you must join KR’s gang. That is the way to go.

  • 1
    0

    Sri Lanka is a violent country as the culture is engrained with assault and murder. Humanity is non existent. Human life is down graded – death by acts of another individual is not investigated. This is because society does not care for life and respect to another human being. This coach has abused a child – in other cultured countries coach will be arrested and taken to justice.

    SriLanka has majority of people who lack humanity. Hence, it is reasonable to conclude they are evolutionally still backwards close to animals.

  • 2
    0

    I have a suggestion . Please send the coach to our parliament to discipline our politicians. They are in need of him. We have seen chilli powder and water bottles thrown in past.

  • 1
    0

    Kumar Chandrakumar

    Read my comment in its entirety. This is part of an ongoing discussion between Ben and Native. FYI I have copied and pasted it here:

    Ben Hurling

    “No wonder ours is a violent country. “

    This was a very peaceful country and the inhabitants were peace loving until the Tamil Diaspora brought violence from abroad.

    I am sorry this is what I gathered from your typings over the last 10 years.

  • 2
    0

    It pains me to see an adult physically beat or verbally abuse a child. In the fourties and fifties during my school days there was no Corporal punishment in schools. It started in the mid sixties i am told. Now children are beaten by hand or sticks. Often in anger.
    My school Jaffna Central College has stopped corporal punishment. In place a counseling centre is in place. Some schools are adopting councelling.
    The Rugby coach should be disciplined and the Child Protection Authority should bring charges against the coach and also against teachers and school administrators who practice Corporal punishment.

  • 5
    0

    I hope that the Rector of St Peter’s College (or someone connected) is reading this.

    If this coach (and any other who practice ‘violent correction’) was not already under consideration, then the time has come to act. The Catholic church has its hands full with accusations of abuse. Does it want to be associated with this?

  • 0
    1

    What do you expect the coach to do when a wrong was committed by player he assaulted?

    Do you expect the coach to just ignore it? He reaction shows how much he is committed to disciplining the players. It shows he is emotionally involved to coach and train the players and committed to the game.

    I like to repeat what Good Sense, a popular in Colombo Telegraph forum commentator wrote “Spare the rod and spoil the child”. I learn good English from Good Sense (and also Champa) even though I may not agree with the substance of the comments!!

    When I was in school I have received caning from my teachers, it is hard but sometimes is necessary!

    I think instead of criticizing and taking the coach to task he should have been praised and given a bouquet of flowers for what he did.

    I feel we have just ruined a good coach.

  • 0
    0

    If Sanath M were born in Australia he will be occupying the chief rugby coach. Such brutal is that country.

  • 0
    0

    I been requesting many people that I would like to help in this area and to give me a chance to develop this weak section in many games and also in many schools but looks like no one wants to really get it done. Last week I wrote on Trinity Whattapp group a suggestion how we should get about and introduce Best Practices in all the games just before a seasion starts and how all concern must get involved.

    Iam a Consultant, lecturer and I introduce Best Practices in many companies. Therefore if any once is keen, Iam always there to help and impart my knowledge to the young youth so that they become better people in the future when we say good bye to this world.
    Thanks to all for this oppertunity and hope some one will take the initiative and bring about a solution for this growing unrest in society.

    Have a great day and see you soon

    Mohan H. Bibile – ISMM
    Student of Trinity 1979
    Sri Lanka
    +94(0)775152959
    E: mohanbibs@yahoo.com

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