The Ryde Gold Medal is awarded each year to the "best all-round boy" at Trinity College, Kandy

Kandy

Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

, an elite school in Sri Lanka founded in the 19th century and moulded in the British Public School tradition. The Ryde Gold Medal is the highest honour that the School can bestow. It is awarded on the result of a secret ballot conducted among the senior boys and the staff whose votes, together with that of the Principal, each count as one. While this system makes deadlock possible, it is only on four occasions that the Medal has not been awarded as a result of the three votes going to three different people. The Medal cannot be won more than once.

The Ryde Gold Medal was first presented in 1908 to John Andrew, but he was not the first boy in the history of the school to be adjudged the best all-rounder. Historical records show that such a prize has been awarded as early as 1894. The Ryde Gold Medal is named after Rev. R. W. Ryde

R. W. Ryde

Reverend Robert William Ryde was an English clergyman and member of the Church Missionary Society . He was Principal of Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka and St. John’s College, Jaffna. The Ryde Gold Medal, awarded in Trinity College to the best all round boy, and the highest honour that the...

, a former Principal of Trinity (1900-1902).

Notable winners of the Ryde Gold Medal include former Under Secretary General of the UN Jayantha Dhanapala

Jayantha Dhanapala

Professor Jayantha Dhanapala is a member of the Board of Sponsors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a governing board member of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Dr. Dhanapala was Sri Lanka's official candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations,...

(1956), former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar

Lakshman Kadirgamar

Sri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar PC was a Sri Lankan diplomat, politician and a lawyer. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005...

(1949), Former Vice President and CIO of the World Bank

World Bank

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

; M.V. Muhsin (1962), first Ceylonese IGP and Ambassador Sir

Sir

Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...

 Richard Aluwihare

Richard Aluwihare

Sir Richard Aluwihare, KCMG, CBE, CCS, JP was a Sri Lankan civil servant and diplomat. He was the first Ceylonese Inspector General of Police and Ceylon's High Commissioner in India....

 (1915) and Sri Lankan Cricketer Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...

(1996).

Past winners of the Ryde Gold Medal

• 1908 J. Andrew
• 1909 C.E Simithraaratchy
• 1910 J. Masilamani
• 1911 V.C. Perera & G.E.J. Hulugalle
• 1912 S.J.C.Schokman
• 1913 R.R. Breckenridge
• 1914 J.L.C.Rodrigo
• 1915 R.Aluwihare
  Richard Aluwihare
  Sir Richard Aluwihare, KCMG, CBE, CCS, JP was a Sri Lankan civil servant and diplomat. He was the first Ceylonese Inspector General of Police and Ceylon's High Commissioner in India....
  
  
• 1916 R.C.Edwards
• 1917 A.H.R. Joseph
• 1918 J.A.de Silva
• 1919 N.F.L. Moonemale
• 1920 S.B. Yatawara
• 1921 A.P. Maralande
• 1922 H.R.V. Johnson
• 1923 L.C. de Mel
• 1924 R. Gibson
• 1925 H. Delvita
• 1926 M.B. Dedigama
• 1927 P. Ramanathan
• 1928 K.B. Sangakkara
• 1929 S.A Odayar
• 1930 J. Duncan
• 1931 A. Panabokke
• 1932 M.C. Fernando
• 1933 H.G. Geddes
• 1934 O.L.Z. Abdeen
• 1935 R. Breckenridge
• 1936 O.L. Izadeen
• 1937 T.B. Marambe
• 1938 Not awarded
• 1939 M.K. Kannangara
• 1940 H.B. Abeyaratne
• 1941 S.B. Dissanayake
• 1942 G.B. Paranagama
• 1943 T.B. Werapitiya
• 1944 A.P.Fernando
• 1945 J.C. Cooke
• 1946 M. Wanduragala
• 1947 D.N.Ratnavale
  David Ratnavale
  David Ratnavale is a psychiatrist and personal advisor to the President of Sri Lanka. He was the chairman of Human Disaster Management council of Sri Lanka. Dr Ratnavale had his primary and secondary education in Trinity College, Kandy where he won The Ryde Gold Medal for the best all round boy in...
  
  
• 1948 L.V.Wadsworth
• 1949 L. Kadirgamar
  Lakshman Kadirgamar
  Sri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar PC was a Sri Lankan diplomat, politician and a lawyer. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005...
  
  
• 1950 N.S.Madugalle
• 1951 M.R.Abeyaratne
• 1952 M.S.Panditharatne
• 1953 Not awarded
• 1954 R.M.Aluwihare
• 1955 A.S.Pilimatalawe
• 1956 J.C.B. Dhanapala
  Jayantha Dhanapala
  Professor Jayantha Dhanapala is a member of the Board of Sponsors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a governing board member of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Dr. Dhanapala was Sri Lanka's official candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations,...
  
  
• 1957 S.L. Ekanayake
• 1958 A.N. Maralande
• 1959 R.S. Peiris
• 1960 J.S. Ratwatte
• 1961 E.T. Abeyewardene
• 1962 M.V. Muhsin
  Mohamed Muhsin
  Mohamed Mushin, a Sri Lankan national, was a Vice President of the World Bank and its Chief Information Officer until his retirement in November 2005...
  
  
• 1963 J.T. Labrooy
• 1964 M.T.M.Zaruk
• 1965 R.T. Siriwardena
• 1966 T.B.H.Dunuwille
• 1967 D.W.S. de Simon
• 1968 A.L. Abeyaratne
• 1969 D.V. Seevaratnam
• 1970 H.Herat
• 1971 U.R. Sangakkara
• 1972 A.E. Unantenne
• 1973 M. Rajasingham
• 1974 G.T.A.Samaranayake
• 1975 C.Y. Ching (Jnr.)
• 1976 R.M.W. Jayasekera
• 1977 J.K. Congreve
• 1978 P.S.Dinesh
• 1979 P.D. Dassanayake
• 1980 T.B. Ellepola
• 1981 Not awarded
• 1982 G.R. Dissanaike
• 1983 A.D. Ratwatte
• 1984 S.G. Ekanayake
• 1985 A.U. Aturaliya
• 1986 T.P.Weerasooriya
• 1987 S.N. Gunaratne
• 1988 F.C.S.Jayawardena
• 1989 P. Herath
• 1990 D.N. Aturaliya
• 1991 A.I. Ranhotty
• 1992 D.de Silva
• 1993 A. Ranaweera
• 1994 M.R.Dassanayake
• 1995 H.D.Atapattu
• 1996 C.K. Sangakkara
  Kumar Sangakkara
  Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
  
  
• 1997 U.R. Attygalle
• 1998 I.S.Gammampila
• 1999 K.T.B. Halpe
• 2000 Not Awarded
• 2001 G.C.B.Welikumbura
• 2002 M.Maddumapatabendi
• 2003 M.M.Muneer
• 2004 C.M.Fernando
• 2005 C.S.Dumbarage
• 2006 B.M.E.D.Basnayake
• 2007 B.C.Waidyatilake
• 2008 A.D.Bulanawewa
• 2009 M.V.Wijesinghe
• 2010 D.C.Bandara

Pre Ryde Gold Medal Era

• 1894 E.C. de Alwis
• 1901 T.B.Ellepola
• 1902 C.B.Aluvihare
• 1904 R.S. Tennekoon
• 1905 P.C. Dedigama
• 1906 M.B.Ekanayake
• 1907 P.B. Dissanayake