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Colombo Gymkhana Club

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The Colombo Gymkhana Club is a social club for men in Sri Lanka. Established in 1959 it resulted from the combining of the Colombo Cricket Club, the Colombo Hockey and Football Club and the Queen's Club under a single governing body.

The Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) was established in 1863 at its current location in Maitland Crescent, Colombo.

The Colombo Hockey and Football Club was established in 1892 and was based at the Colombo Racecourse. In 1962 when the Army acquired the Grandstand and the racecourse the Colombo H & FC moved to Maitland Crescent.

The Queen's Club (originally known as the Prince's Club) was established in 1899, with a clubhouse, 17 tennis courts and squash courts at Bullers Road, Thummulla Junction. In 1971 the premise was commandeered by the Sri Lanka Air Force and later housed the Criminal Justice Commission. The building was then occupied by the Colombo High Courts and subsequently the University Grants Commission. The UGC permitted the club to continue to use the tennis and squash courts.

Until 1964 no Sri Lankans were allowed as members of the Gymkhana Club. It was only in 1965 that the doors were opened to Sri Lankans to join the Club, before that members and playing members were all British. The first Sri Lankan to be Chairman of the Gymkhana Club was R.C. Fernando and the first Sri Lankan rugby captain of the C H & FC was Bryan Baptist (1971) and the first Sri Lankan hockey captain of the C H & FC was Major Gajendran in 1970.

References

Colombo Gymkhana Club Wikipedia