Donald Obeyesekere

Who is Donald Obeyesekere?

Donald Obeyesekere was a prominent colonial era legislator from Ceylon. He was a member of the State Council of Ceylon, the Legislative Council of Ceylon and was the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ceylon.

Educated at S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia and at the Colombo Academy, he gained a BA from University of Cambridge, where he won blues for boxing. On his return to Ceylon he introduced boxing in the country.

He married Johanna Ethel Perera and they had five children; Danton, Corneliya, Asoka, Fredrick, Amelia and Alexander. The Donald Obeysekera Prize is awarded at Royal College, Colombo in his memory.