Mr. Leslie Handunge

In 1959, Mr. Leslie Handunge became the first Sri Lankan Director of Physical Education at University of Ceylon located at Peradeniya.

During the period from 1959 to 1982, Mr. Leslie Handunge conceived the idea of inaugurating a series of inter university sports competitions with an aim of fostering a closer relationship among the students. Under his initiative, the first ever Inter University Sports Festival was held in 1980 at the University of Peradeniya. 

Mr. Handunge, a graduate of the University of Peradeniya himself, was a skilled sportsman who had represented Sri Lanka twice in Boxing at the Olympic Games.

Mr. Handunge had his graduation at Trinity College, Kandy to blaze the Olympic trail. He represented Ceylon at the 1948 Olympic Games which was captained by Duncan White and was the first Ceylonese to enter and Olympic ring and wins an Olympic bout. In 1952, he was the captain of the contingent to the Helsinki Games.

Boxing was one of the main sports where Sri Lankans participated at the Olympics during the first couple of decades, after she gained Independence. Of the boxers who represented the country at the Olympics during that period, Leslie Handunge, is often revered for not only being the first Sri Lankan pugilist to record a victory in at an Olympiad, but also for his technique.

As his contemporaries recall, the now-forgotten boxer was a household name then and he is said to have possessed a unique technique that is yet to be matched by his successors in the flyweight division.

Furthermore, as he had led the Sri Lankan team at the World University Sports Festival and at a number of other international sports events, Mr. Handunge was able to organize a festival among universities in keeping with the standards and traditions of the Olympic Games.

Lesley D.P. Handunge, who started his education in Matale, later came to Trinity College, was known as Perera in School, always remembered by all sports lovers of Kandy especially by the boxing and rugby lovers during his period of time.

He had his graduation at Trinity College in four majot games, cricket, boxing, rugby, and athletics, after leaving school he played inter club hockey, football for Kandy Rovers and rugger for Kandy Rovers and the next for Kandy Sports Club.

As the Director of Physical Education of the University of Peradeniya, he was the in charge of the University play grounds at Peradeniya, the only venue which had a four sports field together, first was the tennis courts, next athletic track & the hockey field, thereafter,  cricket ground and the other one was  for football and rugby, all in a row.

Lesley was a Diploma holder in Physical Education of Loughborough College, U, and became the first Sri Lankan to this Diploma and Masters Degree in Physical Education from Springfield, USA.

He won his first National title in 1944 in the fly weight. He won the best boxers award at his intermediate, Albert Perera Farewell Meet and National Championships. He represented the University of Ceylon at boxing and rugger, and was the British and Irish Universities Bantam Weight Champion while at the Loughborough College.