The Ryde Gold Medal

The Ryde Gold Medal is awarded each year to the "best all-round boy" at Trinity College, Kandy, an elite school in Sri Lanka founded in the 19th century and moulded in the British Public School tradition. The Ryde Gold Medal is the highest honour that the School can bestow. It is awarded on the result of a secret ballot conducted among the senior boys and the staff whose votes, together with that of the Principal, each count as one. While this system makes deadlock possible, it is only on four occasions that the Medal has not been awarded as a result of the three votes going to three different people. The Medal cannot be won more than once.

The Ryde Gold Medal was first presented in 1908 to John Andrew, but he was not the first boy in the history of the school to be adjudged the best all-rounder. Historical records show that such a prize has been awarded as early as 1894. The Ryde Gold Medal is named after Rev. R. W. Ryde ,a former Principal of Trinity (1900-1902).

Notable winners of the Ryde Gold Medal include former Under Secretary General of the UN Jayantha Dhanapala(1956), former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar(1949), Former Vice President and CIO of the World Bank; M.V. Muhsin (1962), first Ceylonese IGP and Ambassador Sir Richard Aluvihare (1915) and Sri Lankan Cricketer Kumar Sangakkara(1996).

Past winners of the Ryde Gold Medal

*1908 J. Andrew
*1909 C.E Simithraaratchy
*1910 J. Masilamani
*1911 V.C. Perera & G.E.J. Hulugalle
*1912 S.J.C.Schokman
*1913 R.R. Breckenridge
*1914 J.L.C.Rodrigo
*1915 R.Aluwihare
*1916 R.C.Edwards
*1917 A.H.R. Joseph
*1918 J.A.de Silva
*1919 N.F.L. Moonemale
*1920 S.B. Yatawara
*1921 A.P. Maralande
*1922 H.R.V. Johnson
*1923 L.C. de Mel
*1924 R. Gibson
*1925 H. Delvita
*1926 M.B. Dedigama
*1927 P. Ramanathan
*1928 K.B. Sangakkara
*1929 S.A Odayar
*1930 J. Duncan
*1931 A. Panabokke
*1932 M.C. Fernando
*1933 H.G. Geddes
*1934 O.L.Z. Abdeen
*1935 R. Breckenridge
*1936 O.L. Izadeen
*1937 T.B. Marambe
*1938 Not awarded
*1939 M.K. Kannangara
*1940 H.B. Abeyaratne
*1941 S.B. Dissanayake
*1942 G.B. Paranagama
*1943 T.B. Werapitiya
*1944 A.P.Fernando
*1945 J.C. Cooke
*1946 M. Wanduragala
*1947 D.N.Ratnavale
*1948 L.V.Wadsworth
*1949 L. Kadirgamar
*1950 N.S.Madugalle
*1951 M.R.Abeyaratne
*1952 M.S.Panditharatne
*1953 Not awarded
*1954 R.M.Aluwihare
*1955 A.S.Pilimatalawe
*1956 J.C.B. Dhanapala
*1957 S.L. Ekanayake
*1958 A.N. Maralande
*1959 R.S. Peiris
*1960 J.S. Ratwatte
*1961 E.T. Abeywardena
*1962 M.V. Muhsin
*1963 J.T. Labrooy
*1964 M.T.M.Zaruk
*1965 R.T. Siriwardena
*1966 T.B.H.Dunuwille
*1967 D.W.S. de Simon
*1968 A.L. Abeyaratne
*1969 D.V. Seevaratnam
*1970 H.Herat
*1971 [http://www.pdn.ac.lk/agri/staff/pdf/ur_sangakkara.pdf U.R. Sangakkara]
*1972 A.E. Unantenne
*1973 M. Rajasingham
*1974 G.T.A.Samaranayake
*1975 [http://www.mech.mcmaster.ca/faculty/ching/index.htm C.Y. Ching (Jnr.)]
*1976 R.M.W. Jayasekera
*1977 J.K. Congreve
*1978 P.S.Dinesh
*1979 P.D. Dassanayake
*1980 T.B. Ellepola
*1981 Not awarded
*1982 [http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/people/faculty/dissanaikeg.html G.R. Dissanaike]
*1983 A.D. Ratwatte
*1984 S.G. Ekanayake
*1985 A.U. Aturaliya
*1986 T.P.Weerasooriya
*1987 S.N. Gunaratne
*1988 F.C.S.Jayawardena
*1989 P. Herath
*1990 D.N. Aturaliya
*1991 A.I. Ranhotty
*1992 D.de Silva
*1993 A. Ranaweera
*1994 M.R.Dassanayake
*1995 H.D.Atapattu
*1996 C.K. Sangakkara
*1997 U.R. Attygalle
*1998 I.S.Gammampila
*1999 K.T.B. Halpe
*2000 Not Awarded
*2001 G.C.B.Welikumbura
*2002 M.Maddumapatabendi
*2003 M.M.Muneer
*2004 C.M.Fernando
*2005 C.S.Dumbarage

Pre Ryde Gold Medal Era

*1894 E.C. de Alwis
*1901 T.B.Ellepola
*1902 C.B.Aluvihare
*1904 R.S. Tennekoon
*1905 P.C. Dedigama
*1906 M.B.Ekanayake
*1907 P.B. Dissanayake

References

* The Centenary Number, Trinity College, Kandy, 1972
* Annual issues of the Trinity College Magazine, 1973 to date