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It is not often that Sri Lankans in this part of the world find time to spend a Saturday afternoon indulging in the pleasures of cricket. But when we do, its a big deal and there is much to look forward to. So when a group of Old Trinitians decided to wield the willow on a sunny afternoon last week in Washington DC there was much fun and revelry. Regretably, there is not much-in truth, very little - to write home about in regard to the quality of the game, for none of us had any cricketing credentials! So I'll confine myself to the celebration after the match when we toasted from afar a sportsman who has done so much for Trinity, the network of Old Trinitian Associations and for sports in Kandy. The glasses were raised deservedly to celebrate Huthaifa Halimdeen.

This year marks a full 50 years of unbroken and selfless service from Huthaifa as an active member of the committee of the Trinity College Old Boys' Association. During this period he has contributed so much to the alma mater that generations of Trinitians both in Sri Lanka and overseas will be paying their tributes as we did here to a man to be admired. When the Late Gamin Dissanayake decided to take on the challenge of converting the picturesque Asgiriya grounds to an international standard he turned to Halimdeen to lead the project. I recall a conversation with Huthaifa at that time where he was determined to bring back to the hallowed grounds the same aura as when the cricketing greats of old played there: Jack Hobbs, Keith Miller, Frank Worrel, Ramadhin, Tom Graveney, Brian Close and Bill Lawry. That Halimdeen's project management skills led to the timely completion of the Asgiriya project is a story that should surely be recounted lest we take such sterling contributions for granted. And then there is the Old Trinitian's Sports Club which stands at the periphery of Asgiriya and owes its sustainability to the stewardship provided by Huthaifa. The famous ``Rugger Ball'' dance in Kandy, an event as popular as the Bradby Shield match, was the brainchild of the late Harry Goonethileke and Huthaifa, who for many many years since its inauguration in the early 60s ensured that this was Kandy's premier social event. And several educational and extra-curricular developments in Trinity owe their success to the entrepreneurship and fund raising abilities of this capable man.

Old Boys Associations in Sri Lanka continue to play a very active role in the life and times of our schools. In the case of Trinity, with the possible exception of Sirisena Bandaranayake, I cannot recall anyone who has given so much, for so long with such dedication as Huthaifa Halimdeen. A great and eventful half-century and more runs to score!