Passion and discipline lacking in school rugby: Pradeep Basnayake
A chat with Pradeep Basnayake is a pleasurable experience. He is frank and fair in his views, doesn’t hold back, and is always forthcoming. Moreover, he has the credentials, having represented the country in two sports.
Pradeep Basnayake (left), the former Trinity, Kandy SC and Sri Lanka forward is of the view that Dharmaraja and Wesley (pictured competing at the League tournament) deserve full credit as League and Knockout champions of 2013. - File pics
To get his lesser-known sport over and done with, tall, burly Pradeep captained Trinity at Basketball in 1993 and played for the Sri Lanka Schools team at the Basketball Nationals for five years. At 16-years-of-age, he found himself in the National Pool for the SAF Games. He turned out for the Sri Lanka Youth Team in 1992.
He had to give up his first love in order to play in the Trinity Rugby team, which he accomplished in 1994 and 1995. He won the greatly coveted Lion for his achievements in 1995. Pradeep turned out for the champion Kandy SC team from 1996 to 2005, leading the team to triple honours in 2002.
Selection for the national team was next on the horizon. He was part of that from 1997 to 2004, captaining the team in 2003 and 2004. Pradeep played, inter alia, in the Rugby Asiad 2003 in Hong Kong, and in the World Cup qualifiers against Hong Kong, Arabian Gulf and India.
As for fond memories he recalls scoring twice in the second leg of the Bradby, which was reclaimed by Haris Omar’s Trinitians in 1995. He signals out Omar, Rangika Ranasinghe (Trinity), Asanga Rodrigo (Royal), Nalaka Weerakkody (Kingswood), Sanjeeva Abeygunarwardena (St. Peters) and Radhika Hettiarachchi (Dharmaraja) as being some of the outstanding schoolboys he played with and against.
As a coach, he enjoyed mixed fortunes. The 2008 Trinity side under Milinda Gunawardena won the Bradby. But the Trinity side of 2009, with Vishwajith Wijesinghe at the helm, was unable to retain it. When talking of coaches, Graham Henry of New Zealand is a name that is on most people’s lips. Pradeep met him while on a coaching course in the ‘land of the long, white cloud’ in 2007. Henry was indeed fascinated that a school in far-flung Sri Lanka had been playing continuous rugby for over a hundred years.
To complete the Portfolio, Pradeep served as a national selector from 2010 to April 2013, being part of the committees headed by Michael Jayasekera and Chandrishan Perera. His views on some current rugby topics all well informed and delivered without fear or favour.
Lifting
This has to be done. The face of the game has changed. Quick ball needed. Besides, the back division is aware of what is happening.
School rugby
Quality is dropping due to competitiveness. Passion and discipline are not there. Competition is faced more by spectators, than players. It is not rugby but rowdysm that has become professional. The solution must come from the top. Dharmaraja and Wesley desire credit. They were true championships. They played quality rugby and were disciplined. Dharmaraja, in particular, didn’t have a big budget, but they proved that money was not everything.
Foreign Coaches
Don’t work at school level. It is probably necessary at club level. If their expertise is used right along, it may be ok but its use at 1st XV level only is questionable. Sanath Martis, Radhika Hettiarachchi and Henry Terrence come to mind if more schools resort to using foreigners, local coaches will have no future.
Importing Players
There are two sides. At times, it is unfair by others who slaved. Don’t advocate it from one well- known school to another (St. Anthony’s to Kingswood). Players from schools where rugby is almost non-existent have switched to leading schools and come good. Satya Ranathunga, the current Navy (earlier CH) and Sri Lanka prop forward started his rugby in Kegalle and finished at Trinity. Another Heshan Kalhara, left a school in Anuradhapura and joined Kinsgwood. He turns out for Kandy SC and has achieved Sri Lanka status.
Referees
Coaches should coach the players and not the referees. All referees don’t coach coaches. There aren’t enough players taking to the whistle. Referees get most decisions correct. When the crowds get emotional, mistakes, committed or perceived, become highlighted. Referees are updated. They attend more seminars than coaches. They undergo fitness tests. Do coaches? Coming back to the champion Kandy SC sides he played in, Pradeep says it was fascinating to play with the likes of Priyantha Ekanayake, Asoka Jayasena, Sudath Sampath, Indrajith Bandaranaike, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Nalaka Weerakkody and Sajith Mallikarchchi.
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