Badminton was introduced to Richmond in 1958. At the beginning, it was an exclusive game for hostelers. Spurred on by the enthusiasm displayed by the students, Mr. J.M. L Peiris took a keen interest in its promotion. A plot adjoining the sick room was cleared by the hostelers themselves and a court prepared on this site. In August 1961, a second outdoor court was opened on the abandoned tennis court next to the library.
In 1961 the Richmond College Badminton Club was formed under the guidance of Prof. Gamini K. Haththotuwegama, who assumed the role of Master-in-Charge. N. D. A. Gunasekara became the first Captain, while Dr. A.D. A. John, a former badminton coach of Dharmasoka, took over the coaching and was responsible for the opening of an indoor court in the College Hall. This was a landmark in the history of the game at Richmond.
The first inter-school match was played against Sri Sumangala College, Panadura, in 1963, and it is on record that Richmond entered the Inter – School Junior Championships the same year.
In 1964 M. S. 1. K. Perera scored the first success for the school at national level, beating an opponent from Ananda Collge.
Mr. A. T. Ariyadasa Silva, later to gain recognition as “The Father of badminton in Sri Lanka”, took over in 1965, to usher in the Golden Era of Badminton at Richmond. Mr. Ariyadasa Silva had helped Dharmasoka to reach the very top in the island in badminton. When he was transferred to Richmond, it seemed that the successes had followed him. There fore, it can truly be said that Dharmasoka’s loss was Richmond’s gain. With his total devotion to the game and to the school and with an unsurpassed organising skill, during the next few years not only was he able to make Richmond the foremost badminton school in the country, but also to enter Richmond’s name in the international map of school badminton .
Mention should also be made of Mr. S. M. Dissanayake, who took over from Mr. Ariyadasa Silva. He put his heart and soul into the job and was able to maintain the very high standard built up by Mr. Silva.
The major successes achieved by Richmond during this period are recorded below. M. S. I.K. Perera won the first All – Island title (under 16) for Richmond in 1966. He captained the side at the Junior League Championships and went on to represent the Ceylon School boys team which toured Malaysia, participating in the International Schools Badminton Championships.
In 1967, the Inter – School Junior Championship (under 16) was won by Richmond under the captaincy of M. Y. C.. Perera.
In 1968, Richmond won both the National Inter-School Junior (under 16) Championship as well as the Senior Championship, under the captaincy of Tissa Jayasekara and M. S. I. K. Perera respectively.
M. S. I. K. Perera represented the Ceylon schools at the International Schools Badmiton Championships held in Tokyo.
In 1969, Richmond defeated all the other participating schools at the All – Inland Inter Schools Championship. This performance could be considered unique. Later in the same year, three Richmondites represented the Ceylon Schools at the Inter Schools Boys Badminton Championships held in Manila. They were M. Y. C. Perera, Oliver Guruge and Tissa Jayasekera. We recall an interesting incident connected with this tour. The three boys almost missed the championships due to the failure to book a flight in time. Once again, it was due to the efforts of Mr. Ariyadasa Silva that this problem was overcome, He immediately got into action, and through two distinguished old boys – Dr. W. Dahanayake, the then Minister of Home Affairs, and Mr. C. H. S. Amarasekara, Director of Civil Aviation the three team members were found flight seats at the last moment, perhaps at the cost of three other passengers!
In 1970, Richmond won the All – Island Inter Schools Junior (under 16) Championship.
In 1971, they became the All – Ceylon Schools Senior Champions.
Oliver Guruge won the Triple Crown at the Schools National Championships in 1971.
In Later years Nihal Amarasena and Harsha Sooriarachchi represented Sri Lanka Schools in 1986 and 1988 respectively.
In 1994 Chamira Kumarapperuma and Ranu Karunasekara represented Sri Lanka schools team.
Other achievements of note by Richmond in badminton are listed below :-
1971: Under 18 Singles Champions -Oliver Guruge
Double Champions – Oliver Guruge and P. de Silva
1971: Under 19 Singles Runnerup – Tissa Jayasekara
Double Champions – Tissa Jayasekara and Prasad Kariyawasam.
1971: Under 18 Mixed Doubles Champions – Oliver Guruge with Miss D. Mallawaarachchi of Bishop’s College
1971: Under 18 Mixed Runnersup – P. de Silva with Miss.Amitha de Silva of Masaeus College.
1972: Under 14 Single Runnersup – R. Wickramanayake 1972:
Under 18 Mixed Doubles Runnersup – Dulip Guruge and Miss. N. Wickramatilleke of Sangamitta College.
1973: Under 16 Singles Champions – Sumith Guruge
Double Champions – Sumith Guruge, Gayan Wijesinghe
1973: Under 18 Single Runnersup – Dulip Guruge,
Doubles Champions – Dulip Guruge with Ravi Silva of Dharmasoka College.
1973: Under 18 Mixed Doubles Champions – Dulip Guruge and Miss. N. Wickramatilleke of Sangamitta College.
1973: Under 18 Mixed Doubles Champions – R. Wickramanayake and Miss C. Wickramanayake of Southlands
College. 1975: Under 18 Mixed Doubles Champions – Gayan Wijesianghe and Miss. N. Wickratilleke of Sangamitta
College. 1980 : Under 12 Team Championships – B Division All – Island Champions.
Under 18 & 20 Championships – B Division All Island Runners – up.
1982: Under 11 Junior National Championships – Sanka llayperuma (Singles Champion),
Sanka llayperuma and A. C. Wijesuriya (DoublesChampions).
Under 16 Team Championships – B Division Runner up
Under 12 Team Championships – A Division Champions.
1983 : Under 13 Junior National Championships – Leonard Amarasena and Sanka llayperuma (Doubles Champions).
- ·Under 13 All Island Championships – Leonard Amarasena (Singles Champions). Under 12 Team Championships-A Division Runners up Under 18 Team Championships – B Division Champions.
- Under 20 Team Championships – B Division Champions.
- 1984 : Under 14 Team Championships-A Division Runners up Under 13 Junior Nationals-Sanka llyperuma (Runner-up)
- 1985 : Under 15 Junior Nationals – Leonard Amarasena and Sanka llayperuma (Doubles Champions)
- 1986 : Under 19 Junior Nationals – Nihal Amarasena (Runner -up)
- Nihal Amarasena represented Sri Lanka Schools at the International Schools Badminton Championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- 1987: Under 11 Junior Nationals – Chamira Kumarapperuma (Runner-up)
- 1988: Harsha Suriarachchi represented the Sri Lanka Schools team at the International Schools Badminton Championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- 1989: Under 13 All Island Championships – Chamira Kumaraperuma (A Division Champion) Under 13 Championships – Chamira Kumarapperuma and D. D. K. Kaluarachchi (Doubles Runners – up) Harsha Suriararchchi respresented the Sri Lanka Schools Team against the visiting England Schools Team.
- 1990: Under 13 Doubles Championships – D. D. K. Kaluarachchi and Chamira Kumarapperuma (Champions) Under 12 Team Championships – Champions
- Under 15 All Island Schools Championships – Chamira Kumrapperuma (Champion)
- 1992 :
- Team Championships (Colombo) – Semi Finalists
- Southern Zone Novices Championships (Ambalangoda)
- C. Kumarapperuma (Singles Champion)
- C. Kumarapperuma & P. Abeysirigunawardena (Doubles Champions)
- S. P. K. Panditha (Singles Runner – up)
- R. K. Karunasekara & G. Abeysirigunawardena (Doubles Runners – up) Junior Nationals (STC, Mt. Lavinia)
- K. A. N. Jayaweera (Under 11 Champion)
- C. Kumarapperuma (Under 15 Champion)
- C. Kumarapperuma (Most Improved Player of the Tournament)
- All Island Under 19 Team Championships (STC, Mt. Lavinia) – A Division Quarter Finalists All Island Under 16 Team Championships – A Division champions (STC, Bandarawela) Team – C.Kumarapperuma (Captain)
- 1993 :
- · R. Karunasekara
- G. Abeysirigunawardena
- L. Bandara
- D. P. K. Kariyawasam Junior Nationals (STC, Mt. Lavinia) R. Karunasekara (Under 15 Singles Chapmion) R. Karunasekara & D.D. K. Kaluararchchi (Under 15 Doubles Champions)
- R. Karunasekara (Most Improved Player of the Tournament)
- All Island Under 14 (A Division) Championships (ST. Anthony’s College, Kandy)
- Group Champions & Semi Finalists
- Team : S. Gamage (Captain) K.A. N. Jayaweera G. Premaratne H. Dias M. Gurusinghe
- 1994
- U 19 All Island School Champions
- U 16 All Island School Champions
- Junior Nationals U 17 Single Championships and Double Champions Ships
- Southern Province Badminton Championships (Baddegama)
- K. A. N. Jayaweera (Under 11 Champion) Suneth Gamage (Under 13 Champion) C. Kumarapperuma (Under 15 Champion) Ranu Karunasekara (Under 15 Runner up) C. Kumarapperuma (Under 17 Champion) All Island Under 14 Tearm Championships (STC, Bandarawela)
- · · A Division Champions (Team) –
- Ranu Karunasekara D. D. K. Kaluarachchi G. Abeysirigunawardena Lanka Bandara Suneth Gamage Junior Nationals (S. T. C. Mt. Lavinia) Tharindu Weerasinghe Under 11 Single Champion Sri Lanka National school champions
- (1) C. Kumarapperum
- (2) P. Abeysirigunawardena
- (3) R. Karunasekera
- (4) D. D, K. Kaluarachchi
- (5) Nuwan Manjula
- (6) G. Abeysirigunawardena
- · Richmond Badminton Captains
- 1962 N. D. A. Gunasekara
- 1963 to 1966 not known
- 1967 M. S. I. K. Perera
- 1968 M. S. I. K. Perera
- 1969 M. Y. C. Perera
- 1970 Oliver Guruge
- 1971Tissa Jayasekara
- 1972 to 1980 not known
- 1981 Anil Nambuwasam
- 1982 L. T. Gamage
- 1983 to 1985 not known
- 1986 J. C. Edirisinghe
- 1987 Nihal Amerasena
- 1988 Aruna lleyperuma
- 1989 Lenard Amerasena
- 1990 Sanka lleyperuma
- 1991 Hiran Ratnayaka
- 1992 Reshan Sampath Malwenna
- 1993 P. Abeysirigunawaredna
- 1994 C. Kumarapperuma
We cannot also forget the “Brothers” who have made a significant contribution towards Richmond’s successes at Badminton. The most prominent among them are the Guruge Brothers (Oliver, Dilip and Sumith); the Perera Brothers (M.S. I.K. and M. Y. C.); and the Jayasekera Brothers (Tissa and Roshan)
Badminton has a relatively short history at Richmond but the school has been fortunate in having in this short period an array of highly talented players and some dedicated and skillful teachers and officials.