The third Battle of the Golden Queens between Princess of Wales' College, Moratuwa, and Yashodara Vidyalaya ended on 8 August 2026 at the De Zoysa Stadium in a thrilling two-run finish. Princess of Wales posted 131; Yashodara were dismissed for 129. What should have been a celebration of competitive school cricket was instead marred by a public display of poor conduct by the two principals.
Yashodara's principal announced that her school would no longer take part in the fixture, questioning the appointment of umpires, the toss and an umpiring decision. She then directed her players not to accept their awards.
The principal of Princess of Wales responded publicly, acknowledging an earlier administrative error while defending the usual practice of the host school. The exchange took place in front of students, parents, old girls and teachers. It was unedifying and damaging.
Cricket is called a gentleman's game because it demands self-control, respect for opponents and officials, and the ability to accept both victory and defeat with dignity. Annual encounters exist to teach teamwork, resilience and fair play. When the highest authority figures in the two schools turn the post-match ceremony into a public quarrel, they teach the opposite.
Discipline is not optional in education. Principals are appointed to uphold the highest standards of conduct. Their tenure may be temporary, but their influence on young minds is not. A principal who cannot model composure after a narrow defeat, or restraint after a hard-fought victory, fails a basic test of leadership. Whether driven by pride, popularity or external pressure, the result is the same: a bad example set in full public view.
This problem is not confined to cricket. The same pattern now stains almost every school sport. An obsessive "win at all costs" mindset treats every defeat as an injustice rather than a lesson. Parents and old boys and girls who pressure coaches and demand results regardless of fairness have become a destructive force. Sponsor influence that expects trophies in return for money, and interference by outsiders from rival schools, only deepen the damage. Many of today's players are increasingly self-oriented rather than team-minded. Until these pressures are confronted and stopped, school sport will produce entitled competitors instead of disciplined young citizens.
Performance must be measured by skill, effort and character, not by the volume of post-match protest. Errors in correspondence or imperfect umpiring decisions are matters for private discussion between schools, not public withdrawals and award boycotts.
Education authorities cannot treat this as a private quarrel. It is a public failure of discipline. The Ministry of Education must demand full accounts from both principals, examine the appointment of match officials, and set clear standards for future encounters. These must include expectations of post-match behaviour by school heads and the obligation of both sides to participate fully in awards ceremonies.
Principals, coaches, teachers and parents share responsibility.
Words about sportsmanship are cheap; demeanour is what students remember. The two schools have every reason to continue a healthy rivalry, but only if the adults in charge remember their primary duty: to form disciplined, resilient young people. When they allow personal frustration to override that duty, they damage more than one fixture. They damage the credibility of school sport itself.
This incident must be nipped in the bud. Discipline cannot be selectively applied. It must start at the top.
The writer is Senior Superintendent of Police (Retd.), Former Head of (Counter Terrorism), State Intelligence Service; Former Director, Police Special Branch
This article was originally published in The Island on August 12, 2026.