Randika Alwis leads Sri Lanka Youth Rugby Team
Sri Lanka Youth Rugby team will be on show at next week’s with Trinity lockforward Randika Alwis leading the side. Division II Junior Rugby Asiad which will be worked off at Havelock Park in Colombo. Two wins is a must for the locals in order to gain promotion to Division I in 2013 to play along with some top Asian outfits such as Japan, Hong Kong and Korea.
St. Peter’s star fly half Dulaj Perera and Dhanushka Ranjan both are injured and were not considered for selections along with Jason Dissanayake of Vidyartha and Trinity skipper Kaneel Seneviratne who are also nursing injuries after the completion of the school season. The injury list also includes Royal skipper Arshad Jamaldeen.
Speaking to the Sunday Times Rizly Ilyas of the SLRFU said that they hope to give the full attention to this squad and are aiming to set up an academy to nurse the young rugby players. “This is also the vision of the SLRFU President, Asanga Seneviratne. We are planning to find them suitable employment and they will be able to play for any clubs of their choice in the future,” Ilyaz said while adding that all these years soon after the tournament is over these youngsters were a forgotten lot.
“Our team under Asanga Seneviratne are fully committed to take these young lads to the next level. They also have a big responsibility in their hands. They are playing in front of their home crowd and they must gain promotion to the next level and they will be exposed to the best three teams in Asia such as Hong Kong, Korea and Japan.”“Who knows if the boys perform well we will be able to play in the JWRT (Junior Rugby World Tournament) which will be hosted for the first time in Asia by Hong Kong in 2014. There are some outstanding players such as Dhanushka Ranjan, Dulaj Perera, Kaneel Seneviratne and Jason Dissanayake who are injured but this will give a good opportunity for the others to show their talent and do well for the country. I am very confident we will come on top in our home soil,” Ilyas added.
Sri Lanka last hosted the Junior Asiad Rugby Tournament in 2000 where the home team under S. Thomas’ player Jeevan Gunatilleke emerged third and went on to play in the JWRT in Chile the following year.The following squad was selected by national rugby selectors headed by Chandrishan Perera which also included Pradeep Basnayake, Chaminda Rupasinghe, Sajith Mallikaarachchi and Nazeem Mohamed.
Squad: Mohamed Inshaf, Randika Alwis, Thisila Karunatilake (all from Trinity), Lahiru Pavithra, Eroshan De Alwis, Rimzy Jamaldeen (All from Royal), Lochana Ekanayake, Miyura Hewavasam (Dharmaraja), Kumendra Rajasinghe, Lakshan Weerasinghe, Arun Kumara, Uditha Premathilake, Hirantha Perera, Menaka Siriwardena, Anjana De Costa (all from Isipathana), Richard Dharmapala, Hashan Maduranga (both from Science), Dinusha Dayan, Panduka Angammana (both from St. Anthony’s), Gayan Jayasekerage (Wesley), Sachith Chathuranga (St. Peter’s), Jason Melder, Rehan Thiyagarajah (both from St. Joseph’s), Woshan Randima (Ananda).
Stand by: Rochana Hettiarachchi and Lahiru Fernando (both from Dharmaraja), Roysten Jensen (St. Peter’s) and Dhuli Samarakoon (Trinity).
Officials: Shamly Nawaz (Head Coach), Asanga Rodrigo (Asst. Coach), Nizam Jamaldeen (Manager).
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