OLYMPICS: Dateline London July 1948. Ceylon was known only for its tea. And then the commentator in a worldwide BBC commentary gripped the attention of listeners glued to their radios and transistors:
This is Abrahams of the BBC speaking to you from London. The first event on the cards for this Fourteenth Olympiad-the first heat of the 400 metres hurdles for men, has got off the starting blocks.
And it’s the little man in the outer lane who has sprung to a good start. There he is gliding over the hurdles. It’s amazing this, but it’s true-he is ahead of all others. And now he’s making the winning dash for the tape.
Fantastic! Oh! In the excitement I’ve not even given this little man’s name. Yes, he is from Ceylon-and the name’s Duncan White!
Well that was how listeners world over received the news when the little man from the little Island became the greatest world class athlete that Sri Lanka has ever produced. Duncan had the best timing in all the heats but there were anxious moments too. In the semi final he was nearly eliminated when he misjudged the finishing point but in a late spurt made it to get into the final. And what a final it was!
Duncan the silver lining
Duncan was leading until he hit the fifth hurdle when he missed his stride and got behind but fought back to third position at the last hurdle. Roy Cochrane of the USA and Bob Larson of Sweden were ahead.
Then came Duncan’s do-or-die spurt for the tape when he beat Larson to come second; win Silver; and give his country that ever precious Silver lining.
Both Cochrane and White broke the Olympic record that year and the Ceylonese had the timing of 51.8 secs. (the world record today held by American Kevin Young stands at 46.78secs). When Cochrane and White met in the USA years later, Cochrane said to White magnanimously: ‘I had trained specifically for the Olympics for four years and I knew you trained for four months. I had a measure of your run and the strategy was set to beat you. I wonder what would have happened if you had the same training facilities that I enjoyed?’
He was the first athlete to win a medal in an Olympic event and the only South Asian to have won an Olympic medal in track and field for more than fifty years. Breaking a 52-year drought, sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe won Bronze in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in the women’s 200 meters event. The medal was later replaced by Silver following Marion Jones’ disqualification. (More on this, next week).
MBE for White
When Duncan returned to Ceylon he was decorated with Queen’s Honours -the MBE (Member of the British Empire). Lesley Handunge – a college mate of Duncan at Trinity and a Olympic Boxer and member of the Ceylon team to the London Olympics in 1948, recalled before his (Handunge’s) demise : Duncan won his heat in the 400 metres hurdles and came third in the ‘semis’ as he misjudged the finishing line.
These two races and the finals are vivid in my mind and I had the good fortune to sit next to the time-keepers at the finishing line.
Against the forecasts of all the experts, the unheralded Duncan White of Ceylon astounded all, bettering the existing Olympic record in the process.’
And John de Saram, the Old Royalist and the only living member of the 1948 Olympic team recalled in a recent interview with Reemus Fernando: ‘my eyes were only on Duncan and Cochrane who remained still ahead. Over the last 10 meters or so, I recollect seeing Duncan pulling his chin firmly back toward his neck -I had never seen Duncan ever do that before.
He was obviously ‘giving it his absolute all’, but Cochrane remained ahead to win and Duncan came a spectacular second.
The genesis of this great athlete can be traced to the days when the White family lived up Lady Horton’s drive (Udawattekelle) in Kandy which stretches behind the boundary of Trinity College. Udawattekelle was the popular cross-country trail for Trinity athletes. It was the domain of those who hatched plots to raid the tuck shop and smoke the odd cigarette.
Pappa cared for sons
The Whites lost their mother early in life. Pappa White cared dearly for his sons Stanley, Duncan and Douglas.
He was a stickler for discipline. The Trinity bell, as the rule had it, would be rung by William at five minutes to eight first and then at eight-o-clock. Except of course when the bell was stolen!
Pappa White would consent to his sons leaving home when the first bell was rung and insist that they get to school on time. It was the Principal Stopford era but the big cane was in Simithraaratchi’s hand. And Duncan once said to your columnist ‘woe be unto those who trailed in late to school.
So we ran from Udawattekelle, satchels in hand to beat the deadline. And yes, said Duncan, I was ahead!
Duncan had long legs that gave him the ability to stride and make movements over hurdles, in long and high jumps. He did this with scissor like execution. It was those very long legs that got him into trouble at school. Big Trouble!
Duncan and friend in teacher’s room
And here is how, in his own words: “I and another student got into the room of a teacher in the dormitory. We knew that the teacher was in hospital. So feeling more secure, we were sitting on her bed and enjoying her biscuits when to our horror, we heard the room door being opened. Being taken by surprise we had to leave everything and dive under the bed.
Unfortunately, my long legs were peeping out from under the bed and the two ‘thieves’ were caught! Our pleas to the lady went unheeded. The next day the Principal sent for me and demanded my ‘Lion’ back as a penalty in addition to a number of strokes with the cane.”
Duncan had won his Lion -the insignia for athletic excellence-for his record breaking performance at the Public School event, even without first gaining ‘colours’.
To have this withdrawn by the Principal ‘stunned’ Duncan. It seemed an over-the-top and unfair punishment for a simple prank. However, after the Olympic victory, White was welcomed at a ceremony at, and was honoured by returning his ‘Lion’. Making a speech at the special assembly, White stated that “although my victory at the Olympics is prestigious, the ‘Lion’ makes me feel more honoured than that.”
Athlete fittingly honoured
Duncan was fittingly honoured with the title Deshamanya the second highest national honour -a move that was mooted by President R. Premadasa and followed through by President Chandrika Kumaratunga after the former’s tragic demise.
In addition, the late C.V. Gooneratne moved a private member’s motion to incorporate by Act of Parliament the Duncan White Sports Foundation which had since done yeoman service toward the promotion of Athletes with the Olympics in mind.
The Foundation which was anchored by sports enthusiast Vijitha Fernando had as its Presidents Kavan Rambukwelle, Ken Balendra, Jennifer Moragoda and Chrisantha Perera.
Members of Foundation included Denzil Kobbekaduwe and Lakshman Kadirgamar. And Duncan White felt deeply honoured by this Foundation and supported it.
These are but a few vignettes of Duncan who passed away in 1998. His record is etched in Sri Lankan history.
As the London Olympics dawns we can do no better than echo the words of team mate Lesley Hadunge: ‘ Duncan was not a man who merely covered ground at speed, he was poetry in motion, perfection of rhythmic movement with gazelle-like gracefulness.’
