Air Force, Vijaya, Seetha Devi, Pushpadana stars at Super Hockey 7s
View(s):Air Force, Vijaya Matale, Seetha Devi girls’ school and Pushpadana girls’ school carried away major honours at the 19th People’s Bank Super Hockey 7s 2013 for clubs and schools, worked off at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy.
Boy’s champions – Vijaya College Matale
The two-day annual hockey fiesta in the hill capital, organised by Seetha Devi Girls’ School Kandy and sponsored by People’s Bank, saw the participation of 31 clubs and 40 Under-19 school teams this year.
A total of 21 men and 10 women’s teams contested in the club segment while 27 boys’ schools and 13 girls’ teams competed in the schools segment at the competition, which was held on April 6 and 7.
The reigning champions, Vijaya College Matale sparkled to retain the boys’ title with a three-goal to nil win over Dharmadutha College Badulla in the final.
Madumal Wimalagunaratne, Sajith Costa and Buddhika Peiris netted a goal each for the champions. The Vijayans remained unbeaten on their way to the finals and showed that they are tactically superior to all their opponents. They had a tally of 18 goals – the highest in the tournament scored through Buddhika Peiris (5), Sajith Costa, Madumal, Malinga Bandara (4 each) and Sangeeth Amarasinghe (1). The Vijaya lads, coached by former national goalkeeper Anuruddha Herath Bandara who is also the master-in-charge
Sri Lanka Air Force – Men’s champions
hockey at Vijaya, showed their class in hockey in recent times by winning all the All-Island School Hockey Sevens and Sixes tournaments held last year with the exception of the Royal Gold and Blue Hockey 7s 2012, which they lost to Royal in the final. Vinura Saman of Dharmadutha Badulla was adjudged the Best Player while Malshan Dissanayake of the victorious Vaiaya won the Best Goalkeeper award.
Skipper of SL Navy receiving the trophy from the chief guest Kapila Dissanayake of People’s Bank
The girls from Seetha Devi and Pushpadana schools in Kandy figured in a scoreless draw in the final of the Girls’ Schools Championship to finish joint champions. Seetha Devi beat Viharamahadevi Balika Badulla 4-0 while Pushpadana outplayed Panadura Balika Vidyalaya 2-0 in the semi-finals to qualify for the final. The Seetha Devi lasses bagged both individual awards on offer as their Samadara Chandrika Kumari won
Ahinsa Premaratne of Pushpadana GS and Samadara Chandrika of Seetha Devi GS receiving the trophy as joint champions of the girls segment.
the Best Player’s award and Sakunthala Illeperuma clinched the Best Goalkeeper’s award.
Sri Lanka Air Force excelled to bag both the men’s and women’s titles in the club competition. In the men’s final Air Force beat Sri Lanka Police 3-2 on penalties while the Air Force women outplayed Sri Lanka Navy 2-1 to annex the women’s title. In the men’s category Thilina Perera of SL Police was adjudged the Best Player as Thusitha Ratnasiri of SL Air Force was named the Best Goalkeeper. Air Force’s Chathurika Premasiri was named the Best Player of the women’s segment while SL Navy’s Jeewanthika Keerthiratne was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper of the competition.
- Text and pic by
L.D. Chandrasiri (Matale Corr)
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