Some Were Fast, And There Was 'Summa'

He was once the Fastest Man in Asia as a sprinter, and was equally fast as a wing three-quarter for the Ceylon team as a ruggerite, Sumanthiran Navarathnam - a legend who lived for 98 years and saw his legacy immortalised at his Alma Mater!

"Summa" sir as he was fondly known, was born on the 21st of May 1925 in the Jaffna Peninsula, to a family of Civil Servants and received his education at Royal College Colombo. At a very young age, he excelled in many sports - Athletics, Rugby and Boxing, receiving Colours and representing the school at the Public Schools, Stubbs Shield and the Royal Rugby team before the Bradby Shield.

Piping Pinto to become the 'Bolt of Asia'

Speaking of Summa sir's best achievements in sports, he was the former Asian record holder for running the fastest 100m by an Asian on a grass track (10.4 seconds) in 1953 at the All India meet in Madras, beating Lavy Pinto who was the Asian Games Gold medal winner in 1951. This timing was marginally short of the Helsinki Olympics record of 10.3 seconds at the time.

Summa Navarathnam with Duncan White, Eddie Gray and fellow athletes at the Commonwealth Games

Despite representing the country at the Commonwealth Games in 1950 along with legends like Duncan White who won the Gold medal in 400m Hurdles, he never made the Olympic cut, which he strongly believed to be racial bias at the time even if he were the fastest athlete in the 100m, having being overlooked for the 1948 and 1952 Games. He retired prematurely from Athletics in 1955 to focus on Rugby.

Scoring Ceylon's Only Try against the British Lions

He was one of the few native rugby players at that time (the 1950 team only had 3 Ceylonese and was almost an 'All White' team). As a short-distance athlete, it was no doubt his pet position was as the wing three-quarter. In the match where Ceylon played against the visiting British Lions in their second visit, he even scored a try where the game ended 44-06.

For many years, he was a loyal member of the CR & FC rugby team, and was once a Clifford Cup winner under his captaincy in 1954. Post retirement as a player, he went on to become the first president of 'Sri Lanka Rugby' (was known as Ceylon Rugby before 1972) and was re-elected in 1974. He was also the President of the CR & FC before being elected to the SLRFU.

The Coach with a Legacy

Having coached Royal Rugby, Sri Lanka Rugby XV and 7s, including several Track athletes who were national record holders and Asian Games medalists. In short, many sportsmen and women excelled under his guidance for decades. The Summa Navaratnam Rugby Academy was something he continued until his wheelchair days to uplift the grassroots level of Rugby at his Alma Mater, and even saw the Royal College Rugby Stadium Grandstand renamed as the 'Summa Navaratnam Pavilion' in 2023.

After 98 long years as a sportsman, coach and administrator, he was called to rest today, leaving behind an unmatched legacy across two sports. On his centenary birth anniversary today, may we remember the humble personality who gave it all and expected nothing in return, is a rare breed of a sportsperson, and Summa sir was proudly one of them.