2016 Mar 17
by a Valuable Contributor
School roar, baila, papare, old friends and tons of fun.
Days leading up to the big match I read through articles that said things that went along the lines of the Big match not being a big deal and some that cast aspersions on why fully grown men still return back every year to support their school. With this in mind, I made it a point to myself go watch it first-hand, this first-timer, and definitely a first to remember.
THE BIG MATCH IS SUCH A BIG DEAL, I mean it’s insane the amount of team spirit both in the teams and the rest of the couple of thousand people on the stands possess. When they said it would be three days of legacy, they did justice to every single word of it. From the players to spectators on the stands, even to the uncle that went around selling popsicles, the big match was something that sparked passion and fanaticism in their eyes.
It’s about the game. Months of commitment. It’s about the school, the name and the alumni it holds. It’s about the people, it’s about meeting up with your friend’s years after you last saw them. It’s about engaging in the one sporting event that everyone, whether cricket fanatics or not, look forward earnestly to.
For a first timer, it was beyond description to see how boys can love their school so much. I’m not even joking, I swear I saw 60 and 70 year old uncles giving an ‘R’ with everything they’ve got in them. This is when I recalled the article I read that said that the reason grown men go back every year for the Big Match is because for most of them, school is as far as most of our population get in life. This is utter rubbish. A disgrace is what it is. The reason why they keep going back every year is because it’s something so important to them that it’s now become tradition, they keep coming back to live the excitement and to support their school and bring to life the big match excitement. Personally, I never saw this at my school. First we had no big match to begin with, and even the couple of events we do have, past students keep coming back for about a year or two and then that eventually stop. What we see at Big Matches is what we need to see in the education system today. If you aren’t grateful for the place that you called home for the first few years of your life, then how are you expected to be grateful for the greater things that come to you in life?
Although those articles did raise certain valid questions and brought to light some very important incidents and statements, from a first-timers point of view, the Big Match, or the Battle of the Blue’s or Maroon’s or whatever colour it is, is something that now we as Sri Lankans have incorporated into tradition and that’s why it stands out as one of the top priority sporting events in the country.
People drinking, making out in dark corner or literally even in the middle of the stands, yes. But is that the only reason why they come to a big match? No. Honestly, everyone comes for the game or the school. Even the clueless of them who just came to ‘hang out’ did pay attention to the game for the most part and cheered with all their hearts when the team they are rooting for scored a point. Maybe not everyone was there was for the game, but honestly, you cannot generalise certain statements when it only reflects upon a dormant minority.
To every Royalist to Thomian to every school taking part in a big match, it has now become a tradition. The boys were brought up with it. To them, it’s not just another game, it’s the sporting event that’s their number one priority. The next time you decide to tell them they need to find something better to do with their lives than go for the Big Match, you need to remember, it’s not your school, how dare you bring down someone else’s. For those of you who haven’t been to one, you’re missing out on so much! I guarantee you, you will realise what all the hype is about only when you go for one first hand. For those of you already excited to go for your first, there’s the one day match happening, try and get your tickets soon!
Click HERE to see the Full Photo Album from the 137th Battle of the Blues!
