Havelock Park

Havelock Park (Sinhala: හැව්ලොක් පාර්ක්) is a multi-purpose stadium in Havelock Town, Colombo Sri Lanka. It is one of the oldest grounds in the country. The sporting complex is located in Havelock Town and is bordered by Havelock Road, Park Road and Isipathana Mawatha.

Havelock Park
හැව්ලොක් පාර්ක්
Havelock Park
Location within Colombo Municipality
LocationHavelock Town, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Coordinates6°52′56″N 79°51′59″E
TypeSporting complex
Genre(s)Sporting Events, Concert
Capacity5,000
SurfaceGrass
Opened1901 (1901) [1]
Tenants
Havelock SC (Rugby)
Colts Cricket Club (Cricket)
Burgher Recreation Club

Early history

Havelock Park was established in 1901 to honour Sir Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock (1844–1908), who was the 17th British Governor of Ceylon (1890–1895), by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). Havelock Park was originally 1.82 ha (4.5 acres) in area but in 1905 the CMC purchased an additional 2.41 ha (6.0 acres) for Rs 30,000. By 1907 Galle Face Green, Victoria Park (now known as Viharamahadevi Park) and the Havelock Town Park were adjudged as being the major "green lungs" of Colombo.

Sports

During the early decades of the 19th Century, Havelock Park became the home of several sporting clubs, although one, the Havelock Golf Club, shifted to Buller's Road (Bauddhaloka Mawatha) where the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall now stands.[2] At the northern end of Havelock Park is the public area named after the national hero, Captain Duenuge Edward Henry Pedris (1888–1915), was executed by British officials for alleged incitement of racial riots in 1915, which were later proven false.

Adjacent to Pedris Park, is one of Sri Lanka's oldest rugby clubs, the Havelock Sports Club, which was established in 1915.[3] On 12 September 1907 the first international rugby union match played in Ceylon was held at Havelock Park between the New Zealand All Blacks and an All Ceylon team. The grounds were renovated in July 2012 to celebrate the club's 97th anniversary.[4]

The Burgher Recreation Club (BRC) is also located on Havelock Park. The club originally known as the Bambalapitiya Sports Club was established in 1896 and in 1901 changed to Burgher Recreation Club when the club house was relocated to Havelock Park.[5]

In the south-east corner is Colts Cricket Club Ground, the home of Colts Cricket Club since 1971. The ground is a regular venue for first-class matches and also hosted many women's cricket matches. The Colts Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team that has won the Sri Lanka domestic league six times, the latest being the 2011–12 season.

A children's playground was constructed in the south-west corner of the park in 1959.[6]

Concert

Romanian singer Inna performed at Havelock Park on 13 September 2015 in Sun FM concert SUNFEST 2015.[7]

Jamaican singer Sean Paul performed at Havelock park on 28 November 2015 in Sun FM concert SUNFEST 2015.[8][9]

American singer Jason Derulo performed at Havlock park on 8 April 2016[10]

References
  1. "Havelock Sports Club celebrates 100 years". Ceylon Today. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. "Golf started on the Galle Face Green". The Sunday Times. 13 May 2001. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  3. "Havelocks Sports Club to celebrate Centenary next year". The Times of Sri Lanka. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  4. "Havelock Hurrah". Viva Lanka. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  5. Rahaman, T.B. (27 May 2006). "P.M. toasts the Burghers". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  6. Ceylon Sessional Papers. Government Press. 1962. p. 172.
  7. "Sunfest 2015 Sri Lanka 's Biggest Music Festival". The Sunday Leader. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  8. "Sun FM ushers in the festive season in grand style". Sun FM. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  9. "GET READY! SUN FM PROUDLY PRESENTS SEAN PAUL LIVE IN CONCERT IN COLOMBO". Hiru News. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  10. "JASON DERULO TO PERFORM IN SRI LANKA". Hiru News. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
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