Colombo Racecourse

Colombo Racecourse (

Rugby Union ground in Sri Lanka to host all the national rugby union

In 2014, the ground went through a major renovation, which included the installation of floodlights and the conversion of a substantial part of the grandstand into a shopping and dining complex. The ground hosted the 2022 SAFF U-17 Championship.^[3]

History

Horse racing

Officially opened for horse racing in 1893 after it was moved from the

totalisator

was installed becoming the first race course in the East to have one.

The Colombo Turf Club was based here with its own pavilion and clubhouse next to the grandstand.

Airstrip

In late 1941,

D S Senanayake, Minister of Agriculture and Lands (later the 1st Prime Minister of Ceylon) was given the task of its construction. Consisting only of a single runway, station headquarters and the officers' mess were set up in the bungalows in Cinnamon Gardens and were serviced by a newly established military hospital in the premises of Royal College Colombo

.

Two squadrons of the Royal Air Force were based at the racecourse. They were

Hawker Hurricanes and No. 11 Squadron RAF with Bristol Blenheims. When the Easter Sunday Raid occurred the Japanese bombed the RAF units at RAF Ratmalana

yet passed over the Racecourse Airstrip without knowing it existed. This allowed the Hurricanes of No. 11 Squadron to deploy and intercept the Japanese raiders.

The

Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) here during the duration of the war with the name HMS Bherunda. 882 Naval Air Squadron

was based here.

Decline

Following the end of the war the airfield was dismantled, racecourse was reconverted back to a horse racing track. This was greatly affected after gambling and betting were banned in the country in 1956. This resulted in horse racing stopping completely in Colombo thereafter along with Nuwara Eliya Racecourse (which re-opened in 1981).

The Colombo Racecourse, the Colombo Turf Club and its grounds were taken over by the government and its large land extent was segmented and distributed to government entities. Southern parts went to the University of Colombo, the northern portion to the Department of National Archives while others to the Royal College Sports Complex, Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club and sporting bodies.

The Grandstand and the Colombo Turf Club building were neglected and used for different purposes. The Sri Lanka Army used it as a temporary garrison from time to time as well as the Sri Lanka Air Force used what was left of racecourse grounds for landing transport helicopters.

Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex

In 2011 the Urban Development Authority commenced the renovation of the Grand Stand and the Colombo Turf Club building. The structures were renovated by the 6th Engineer Services Regiment and Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau. The remaining grounds were redeveloped into Sri Lanka's first international-grade Rugby Union grounds.

References

^ "AFC Cup Qualifiers: Chennaiyin FC held to 0-0 draw by Colombo FC". www.sportstar.thehindu.com. 6 March 2019. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
^ Modernized Colombo Racecourse open for public Archived 25 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Sri Lanka to host SAFF U17 Championship". ThePapare.com. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.

External links

Media related to Colombo Racecourse at Wikimedia Commons

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[1] "AFC Cup Qualifiers: Chennaiyin FC held to 0-0 draw by Colombo FC". www.sportstar.thehindu.com. 6 March 2019. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.

[2] Modernized Colombo Racecourse open for public Archived 25 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine

[3] "Sri Lanka to host SAFF U17 Championship". ThePapare.com. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.

[3]