She is a multi-faceted sportsperson who has gone the extra mile in two completely different sporting principles. She had the rare privilege of captaining both hockey and karate at her alma mater. She is mostly known for her prowess as a top-notch goalkeeper in the island nation’s hockey arena.
She is Dehara Senaratne, our protagonist this week on the Daily Morning Sports.
A past pupil of Ladies’ College, Dehara spent most of her schooling dedicating to sports-related activities, especially karate and hockey. She was part of the Champion Sri Lanka Schools Junior National outfit and later the Senior Nationals. Karate has been a pivotal part of her sporting journey too, winning silver and bronze medals here at home and abroad which led her to qualify as a national-level player.
Winning the best goalkeeper award at the prestigious Blue and Gold Hockey 7s in 2023 and at the annual LC-BC encounter against where Ladies’ and Bishop’s Colleges vie for hockey glory, Dehara clinched the prize on the trot in 2018, 2022, and 2023.
An athlete-student would definitely be the best way to describe Dehara.
How did your journey with hockey and karate begin? Take us through those beginnings.
When I was just seven years old my younger brother used to go for karate classes. I used to always just watch and admire this art as my parents did not allow me to participate no matter how much I tried to convince them.
Karate …
When I was in primary school, I was just known to be the chubby introverted kid who never really did much in school. There was a time when I had a problem of getting bullied in school. This resulted in anger management issues and I suffered as a kid in school. When my parents were called to school to discuss this issue, thanks to the then vice principal who later became my principal, she suggested that I should get into sports and she definitely did not fail to mention the fact that I should start karate though my parents weren’t happy in me taking up the art as they thought this would not help me in this case and as well as they thought that girls should not be engaging in such a sport.
From the very first day my love for art never died. In every practice session and tournament, I never failed to give my best. It was definitely the only therapy I needed in order to help build my character. At my debut tournament my habit of violence got to me and I was advised by my sensei and seniors on how karate does not include the word violence. And ever since that day, I always played smart and came out happy from many tournaments.
Hockey …
Two years into karate, I considered trying out a team sport as I kept seeing a lot of people enjoying the team spirit. I was inspired after seeing seniors in our school who played major encounter sports. I used to remember the times when my grandparents used to play with us while we were kids and how my grandfather got my parents to get my brother and I a rugby ball and two hockey sticks as these were the two team sports he played as a kid in school. And he was happy to see that my brother enjoyed playing rugby as well as I enjoyed playing hockey every evening in the garden.
When I remembered this, I ran to my grandfather and asked him if hockey is a sport I should consider starting. My grandfather excitedly encouraged me to do so. Even though I couldn’t keep up as a player as I started late, one day I was late for practices and when I went, my coach asked me if I wanted to be a goalkeeper as we were short of one for a tournament which was in a few weeks. I nervously said yes as I would have agreed to do anything as I was scared at the time. Even though at first I was hesitant due to the heat I experienced with all the safety gear, I later started to gradually realise that I was good at it and I loved the fact that I did not have to run as much. And I started to love it as I ended up doing pretty well at my first tournament.
Out of all other sports, why did you select these two sports?
Even though I have considered and participated in other sports for short periods of time, I came to the conclusion of how to pick the right combination of sports; It was one individual sport as well as one team sport and both these sports never failed to help me to learn more about life and build my character.
Karate was definitely and always a coping mechanism. You would still find me in my room doing my “katas” when I’m stressed or nervous. And karate practices were definitely what helped me to get through school as I would always look forward to after-school practices.
Hockey really helped me to handle pressure and my team spirit gradually increased. There was never a match that I wasn’t nervous for beforehand. But the end result of seeing my team, coaches, teachers, and parents happy is what got me through all of that pressure as well as through life in general as I still think about the journey.
Life at Ladies’ College – tell us a bit about your best days at Flower Road.
It is definitely something that I will miss the most in my life. I know for sure that I will miss all those tournaments and practices. But the support I received from all my teachers and friends is something that I will never get again. The memories I made in school are something that I wish I could watch back in some kind of movie. Life was definitely not easy in school but the people who were present throughout the whole journey was what helped me.
What was the most memorable moment in your sporting journey? Both hockey and karate.
I could never pick one memorable moment in my sports journey as they are countless . The Sri Lanka schools team (hockey) became champions on my birthday last year so I would say that, that was one of the best and luckiest birthdays. When we (Ladies’ College) created history by qualifying for the finals in the Blue and Gold Hockey Sevens was a day that I never saw coming. Every LC-BC encounter is a memorable moment regardless of the end result as the journey and afterparties are the only memories that will live in my head forever.
Some other memorable moments would be all the out of Colombo tournaments as they would always turn into a party, especially every bus ride. What we have achieved as a team are definitely some memorable moments but I would have to say all the other times, my teammates made me laugh so hard that it was definitely more hectic than any fitness or practice session. They are the most memorable moments that will last for a lifetime.
Those laughs at karate tournaments were definitely what got me through those long, heaty hours at Sugathadasa Stadium. I still remember the time I was sick and while doing my “kata” event, I had a runny nose in the middle, out of embarrassment I continued to perform the best of my abilities and ended winning the silver medal in the Colombo district tournament and to this date I only remember the fact that I laughed with my teammates about this incident afterwards. I know that I will never experience those moments in my life again but they surely will never be forgotten.
Who are the people behind your successful sporting journey?
The people who have helped me most throughout my sporting journey are definitely my family who went through a lot just so I could succeed. My mother who never failed to be there at every single tournament and my father who never failed to drag me out of bed every morning for practices, the indirect and subtle support from my brother who tried to make me laugh every time I cried after I lost a tournament. I am thankful for them for the support in joy and grief. Even grandparents and relatives who never failed to watch my matches.
Miss Sunethra, Bandara Sir, and Ms. Ishanka, my hockey coaches from school who helped me improve every single day even if I gave up on myself. They would always cheer me up rather than scold or complain about my performance after a match. Sensei Jurangpathy and Sensei Bandusena, my karate coaches in school, taught me that karate is a disciplined art that requires focus and patience. Thanks to their humour at every practice session, and the immediate serious mood change is what helped me love the sport so much and helped me be successful. My teachers-in-charge of hockey Miss Joseph, Miss Anusha and Miss Malithie who showed their continuous love and support to us is definitely a key to our success and Miss Anusha Ranasinghe, our teacher-in-charge of karate who helped me be more disciplined and showcased her support to me every day. All my national coaches and well as Imran sir who supported my performance and always cared about my wellbeing during my match periods. My principal Miss Deepika Dassanaike who always supported me and all my teachers who tolerated me throughout my journey and to all my friends who never failed to support and encourage me and my teammates who got me through every second of this journey of mine. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for all these people as well as many more who always supported me even in the smallest of ways.
What are the key challenges/issues hockey and karate face in Sri Lanka?
Both karate and hockey face a lack of funding and support unlike other sports, due to these reasons many talented children and adults are deprived of their opportunities. I believe that all sporting athletes deserve equal support from our country irrespective of any differences.
How are your current and future plans in sports?
Currently I’ve put a hold on my sports journey as I have decided to continue my higher studies overseas from January 2024 and maybe contribute more to sports when I am done with my studies, my support will always be there for sports specially for my school.
How do you see the game from a goalkeeper’s point of view?
I feel like many goalkeepers, especially in hockey would agree that mostly the spectators would put the blame on the goalkeeper when something goes wrong. In my point of view, making mistakes as a goalie seems to be a crime in my head as I would always feel that me making a mistake can cost my team the entire game.
Multitasking during the game is definitely what a goalie needs as they have to communicate with the players on the field by screaming end to end as the goalie is the only person that can see the whole field, We have to focus on the ball while making speedy decisions all whilst wearing the gear which reduces our focus and slows our movements. As much as we know and are assured by everyone that our one mistake did not cost us the game, I would still most of the time feel like it was my fault and how I let my whole team down. In my point of view, a goalkeeper is definitely the most stressful position in the team as I might not be as physically tired as the other players but the mental fatigue adds up to all of it.
As a team player and also a solo sportswoman with a taste of both worlds, what is your take on sports as a platform for kids to develop life skills and many more?
As a team player, I feel it is definitely something that will help every kid to understand and develop their character in the future. I have seen and grown up to be a person that I never knew I could be as it helped me associate and understand people. Sports helped me transform from being an introvert to an extrovert whilst knowing my limits and it definitely helped me make better life decisions that I did not regret afterwards.
And even as a solo sportswoman, I always thought that we have to support our teammates as I would always be more than happy when I see someone else win even if I don’t do well. Being a part of both sides of the coin helped me realise that sports helped me change my life completely and I think it’s essential that kids showcase their talents through sports as there would definitely be a huge personality development they’d experience, they would definitely never regret the journey. I especially respect the sportswomen around Sri Lanka and the world as I most of the time see that they don’t get the recognition and support they deserve and yet they never fail to amaze us and inspire us. Sports is a platform that can help you in many ways. I would advise all kids to start a sport, to experience the beauty of it just as I did and continue to do so.