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Hasitha Bayagoda chooses cricket over medicine

BIPIN DANI. Dated: 4/14/2018 11:32:45 AM

MUMBAI, Apr 13: Hasitha Bayagoda, the 19-year-old Trinity College (Kandy) all-round boy, who recently won the Ryde Gold Medal (the highest honor that the school can bestow in Sri Lanka) chose cricket over medicines. .
"I had a liking towards commerce stream. And it was more compatible with cricket for me. I didn't want to give up cricket as medical profession would hinder ther chances of me continuing cricket", the right-handed batsman and the off-break bowler, speaking exclusively said from Colombo.
His both parents, however, wanted his son to be a doctor.
Incidentally, father (Dr. Sanjaya Boyagoda) is a consultant physician and the mother (Dr. Supipi Boyagoda) is a Consultant Paediatritian.
Hasitha was made aware about few other cricketers (VVS Laxman, AB de Villers, Kagiso Rabada), whose one or both parents are doctors.
"Initially we wanted him to do bio science so that he could do medicine as he usually came 1st or 2nd in the class even with losing lot of time for cricket. We knew that it he gave up national duties and play only school cricket he had the chance of entering the medical faculty", his father Dr. Sanjaya Boyagoda, speaking exclusively over telephone from Colombo, said.
"We had a lengthy discussion before him choosing to do commerce. He had a clear target of playing in the U19 World Cup and winning the Ryde Gold Medal so he wanted to do commerce. He liked commerce subjects more than the science subjects anyway. Knowing his character we didn't disagree. Which in the end proved to be the correct decision", the father added. .
"I got to know that Laxman's parents were doctors some 10 years ago from one of my doctor colleagues, an Indian from Kerala who worked in Australia. His favorite cricketer was VVS Laxman. But that fact never crossed my mind when Hasitha wanted to do commerce", tells father.
Hasitha was introduced to hard ball cricket at the age of 6 1/2 years.
Work ethics and commitment :"He always wants to give 100% to whatever he does especially cricket and studies. I don't think he has ever been to cricket practice late starting from the U13 time. He went to the gym for a workout even before going to the prize giving to receive the Ryde Gold Medal".
"As he had 3 months off from cricket before the A/L exam he had put on some weight and had to lose about 6kg in about 6 weeks before the 2017 Asia Cup in order to pass the fitness test which he did with lot of hard work and commitment. As he had lost lot of time for cricket he studied and attended classes whenever the time permitted and he once even attended a tuition class on the same day after arriving home from a foreign tour", senior Bayagoa concluded.