Veteran Sri Lankan cricket coach and former school mentor Sumith Fernando has died following an altercation involving young players at a cricket facility in Colombo. Fernando, 62, passed away on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at a hospital after sustaining injuries during the incident on August 8. The coach remembered for mentoring several young cricketers, including current Sri Lanka ODI captain Kusal Mendis during his school days.
Dispute over drinking water escalates According to PTI, the incident began when a group of young cricketers training at a sports facility went to get drinking water but found that there was no running water available. A disagreement reportedly broke out between the players and stadium staff over the issue. Fernando, who was present at the venue and had also worked as a curator at the Bloomfield Cricket & Athletic Club, intervened as the situation escalated. Police said a physical confrontation subsequently took place involving two players. A 17-year-old school cricketer was allegedly involved in the altercation, during which Fernando sustained injuries. He was rushed to Colombo National Hospital for treatment but died on Tuesday while receiving medical care.
17-year-old player arrested Police arrested the 17-year-old player on Monday on suspicion of assaulting Fernando. Since the accused is a minor, he was placed under child probation custody after being produced before a Colombo court on Tuesday. His custody has reportedly been extended until August 17 as the investigation continues.
Coach who mentored Kusal Mendis Fernando was a former coach at Prince of Wales College in Moratuwa and played a significant role in the development of several school-level cricketers. Among those he coached was Mendis, who went on to become Sri Lanka's ODI captain. Fernando later served as a grounds curator at Bloomfield Cricket & Athletic Club, a prominent club in Sri Lanka's domestic cricket structure. Fernando's funeral was held on Thursday.