For Aabid and the Thomians it’s time to rejoice
Aabid Cader and his team S. Thomas’ College officially confirm their authority as official winners of the Singer-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Ruggerite of the Year and Most Popular Rugby Team of Year 2017 competitions. Both Cader and S. Thomas’ received almost 18,000 votes and won by healthy margins that closes in to 13,000.
Cader’s tally eventually reads as 17693 after the addition of 4609 votes in the final and decisive week while former winner Avishka Lee of Wesley College was pushed down to third by Sasindu Rathnaweera of Ananda College.
The deficit between Cader and now second placed Rathnaweera reads as 12750. Rathnaweera had added 3005 votes in the final week, which took his final count to 4943, helping him to claim the second place with a lead of 888 votes from Lee.
Lee dropped down to third place after an inactive week, compared to the top two. His addition of 24 last week, only took his tally to 4055, which wasn’t helpful for the former leader in any way. Another surprise of the final week was the emergence of Kasun Amarasinghe of Nalanda College. He was merely placed in the middle of the list but 3105 votes in the final week took his final tally to 3693, further pushing down Sumudu Rankothge and Ovin Askey, the respective skippers of Isipathana and Royal.
In the team competition, S. Thomas’ streamed ahead to win the segment with a tally of 17711 as Wesley, who led for a considerable number of weeks and was pushed down to second position last week, was further pushed down to third by Ananda College. S. Thomas’ leads Ananda by a clear and thumping margin of 12723 votes. Ananda finishes off with a final tally of 4988 while Wesley finishes off at third with 4052 votes, 936 behind. Nalanda ended up at fourth with 3693 votes as the competitions come to an end.
Most Popular Ruggerite
Aabid Cader (S. Thomas’ College) 17693
Sasindu Rathnaweera (Ananda College) 4943
Avishka Lee (Wesley College) 4055
Kasun Amarasinghe (Nalanda College) 3693
Sumudu Rankothge (Isipathana College) 635
Ovin Askey (Royal College) 436
Shewon Gregory (St. Joseph’s College) 320
Chamodh Fernando (Isipathana College) 243
Yuzraan Lantra (Zahira College) 223
Praveen Ranasinghe (St. Aloysius College) 193
Most Popular Rugby Team
S. Thomas’ College 17711
Ananda College 4988
Wesley College 4052
Nalanda College 3693
Isipathana College 871
Royal College 632
St. Joseph’s College 363
Zahira College 225
Readers prizes go to: 1. Gayan Jinadasa, 20, Dambahean Road, Maharagama, 2. K.M.I. Samarakoon, 104, Gampola Road, Gelioya, 3, Lal de Alwis, 104/5B, Templers Road, Mt. Lavinia.