Nalin de Silva – Officer and a gentleman
He was called the Iron man. His playing days he was unstoppable. Rock solid and his tackles were borne-crunching. He is none other than Nalin de Silva — former Isipathana, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka sevens and fifteens player and the present SLRFU (Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union) Secretary. During his playing days for Sri Lanka Air Force was at top level in the club segment
Nalin played for Isipathana College from 1970-74, leading the outfit in his last year. He was also the vice-captain of the Combined Schools rugby team in 1974. Nalin was an allround sportsman representing his alma-mater in Hockey, Athletics and Basketball. Soon after leaving school he joined the Sri Lanka Air Force and represented the team for 14 years (1974-1988).
Nalin de Silva
He led the team in 1982. Some players who were in his team were Razali Noordeen, Tony Wimalasuriya and Tikiri Marambe. Nalin won the most “Outstanding Sportsman of the Year” award in 1982, the most “Outstanding Rugby Football Player” of the Sri Lanka Air Force, and in 1984 Nalin won the Defence Service rugby colours in 1980 and 1985. He also coached the Air force team from 1980 to 1988.
His finest moment came in 1984 when representing the National Sevens outfit at the Hong Kong Bank-Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sevens. Sri Lanka won the “Bowl” trophy under Hisham Abdeen. It remains as the only trophy Sri Lankan rugby won at International level. He also represented the shorter version of the game from 1982-1985. He represented Sri Lanka at the Asiad in 1982 (Singapore) and in 1984 (Japan). He toured Wales in 1987 with the national team.
Nalin who is a top class disciplinarian have held some top administrative positions. He was the Course Director at the National Olympic Committee (NOC), Planning, Development, Administration and Training in Rugby Football and Athletics at national level in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Rugby national selector (1992 to 1998), Secretary of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) 2002 to 2004, Secretary of the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka (1995-1997), member of the Technical Committee (Ex Officer) of the Duncan White Sports Foundation in 1996, Vice President of the Uva Province Rugby Football Union in 1993, Chairman Development Committee Amateur Association for Uva Province in Sri Lanka – 1993, member of the Rugby Football Referees Association from 1994 to 1998.
Speaking to the Sunday Times Nalin said “We need to move forward and keep club politics away and passion should be to represent the national team. We need to look after the Under-20 players who represent the national team at the Junior Asiad such as some top teams in Asia like Japan and Hong Kong.
All those teams field at least five to six players who are playing rugby for the national team from Junior Asiad onwards. When you check on ours, hardly any one or a very few continue in playing rugby. I know in most of the other countries they take this sport as a professional one but here it is not.”
Nalin continued by saying Asanga Seneviratne as the head of SLRFU had done lot of hard work to bring rugby football in the country to this top standard.
“Our journey has just begun and got to go a very long way. He is very much respected in the world body at IRB (International Rugby Board) and presently the Secretary of the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU). Without his support our national team would not have participated at this year’s Hong Kong Sevens.”
Nalin ended as saying “We need some top young foreigners to represent the country. It will be good to identify some youngsters from Pacific Islands in their early 20’s to play for the country even after three years as per the IRB law.”