Former Royal athletic captain Roshan Fernando promoted Senior DIG | Sunday Observer

Former Royal athletic captain Roshan Fernando promoted Senior DIG

7 May, 2017
DIG Roshan Fernando
DIG Roshan Fernando

Former Royal College athletic captain and Public Schools meet record holder, DIG Roshan Fernando has been promoted as a Senior Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police. His appointment has been approved by the National Police Commission.

Senior DIG Fernando has been a versatile sportsman, accounting for many athletic records during his school career at Royal College, Colombo 7.

Besides his record breaking career in track and field, Fernando has represented Royal in four other sports - cricket, rugby, volleyball and boxing.

As the captain of Royal’s champion athletic team in 1979, he guided the Reid Avenue school to emerge champions in all three major schools championships held in that year - Junior John Tarbet meet, Senior Tarbet meet and Relay Carnival. In winning the Senior John Tarbet Championship under his dynamic leadership, Royal set a new record of 249 points to win the title with a convincing margin.

Beside Royal colours in athletics, Fernando was awarded Public Schools colours in athletics for his outstanding feats that included anchoring Royal to two Public Schools records in 4 x 100m Relay and Medley Relay in Under-19 age group. He ended his brilliant school career at Royal as a

Senior College Prefect and the Head Prefect of the Royal College Hostel, at which he was better known as ‘ERL’ after his initials. At the 1980 annual prize giving of Royal, he was awarded the Best All Round Hosteller Award.

Senior DIG Fernando had his primary education was at St. Mary’s College, Negombo before he joined Royal. His Under 11 long jump record in athletics at St. Mary’s College, Negombo still remains unbroken for 46 years. As an Under-16 athlete at Royal, Fernando had accounted for five records, including the long jump record which still remains intact after 41 long years.

After an illustrious school career as an outstanding sportsman, young Fernando joined Sri Lanka Police in April 1982 as a sub inspector. Since then, he had served the Police Department in various ranks in all parts of the country.

A pioneer member of elite Special Task Force (STF) in 1984, Senior DIG Fernando has made a notable contribution during the nation’s battle against terrorism.

He was promoted as ASP in 1994. During his 35-year unblemished and exemplary career at Police, Senior DIG Fernando has also served as the

Commandant of Police Marine Division and Director of Thambuththegama and Pahalagama Police Training Schools. During three decades of terrorism, he had mostly served in operational areas and was in-charge of Jaffna Division at the time the country was liberated in 2009.

For his fearless leadership in the battlefield, Fernando was also awarded Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal. He was promoted to the rank of SSP in 2005 and as a DIG in 2013. Prior to

his promotion as Senior DIG, Fernando was in charge of Police Special Protection Range. His outstanding contribution to Police Department has been especially commended on seven occasions by successive IGPs. He was also awarded ‘Singapore Excellency Award’ in 2007.

He is one of the highly trained officers in Sri Lanka Police with special training in Israel, Japan, Singapore, Nepal and Iran on anti-terrorist combating, community policing and cyber crimes. 

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