Veteran Sri Lankan coach Lionel Mendis passes away

Lionel Mendis (on the right)

One of Sri Lankan’s most illustrious coaches, Lionel Mendis passed away in Colombo, aged 80. Mendis, immensely popular as the ‘father-figure’ of coaching in Sri Lankan cricket, lost a long-fought battle with Cancer, reports ESPN Cricinfo.

The veteran coach is famous for having coached Sri Lankan World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Kumar Dharmasena and even Mahela Jayawardene, to name a few. Mendis was known for his intricate and disciplined coaching which earned him huge respect in the cricketing circles.

During a recent event, Ranatunga had come out in much appreciation of his former coach. "The specialty in him is his attitude to build a complete cricketer," Ranatunga said. "He taught us how to dress, eat and how to behave in the ground. He respects the tradition and culture of our country and expects his students to follow good manners.”

"He never thought of earning money but spent his money on poor students. Every time he gave his students very important tips not just on cricket but also on life", he stated.

Best teacher I had: Jayawardena

Before he took up coaching, Mendis was a professional teacher and was widely loved by his students. But his love for cricket drove him to teach and coach at the same time. He fulfilled many roles like Senior Cricket Master, Junior Cricket Coach, Prefect of Games, Deputy Warden of the Hostel, Teacher in charge of Prefects,Teacher in charge of minor employees, Broadcasting Chief of the Broadcasting unit, among other things, during his stint in college coaching.

Lionel Mendis received the ICC centenary Award (1909-2009) in recognition of his outstanding service to Sri Lanka Cricket in 2009. He was also a recipient of the Gold Award for cricket coaching at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Sri Lanka Cricket in 1998. In 2000, Lionel wrote his first ever cricket coaching manual ”Cricket Huruwa” a complete guidance for players as well as cricket coaches, described by many in Sri Lanka as a ‘Masterpiece’.

Lionel Mendis sir, will be a great loss for cricket in Sri Lanka. One of the best coaches Sri Lanka ever had! pic.twitter.com/JUWCYGovTb

— Arjuna Ranatunga (@ArjunaRanatunga) October 9, 2015

Sad to hear my first coach Mr. Lionel Mendis passed away last night. He was the best teacher I had. May you attain Nirvana sir..

— Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay) October 9, 2015