Savinda and Nuravi crowned Most Valuable water polo players
View(s):Royalist Savinda Dissanayake and Visakhian Nuravi Assalaarachchi were crowned the Most Valuable Players in the Boys and Girls categories at the National Water polo Championship concluded at the Sugathadasa Swimming Complex last weekend. Eight Men’s teams and four Women’s teams took to the pool with the hope of taking hold of the coveted crown when the championship started on September 22.
Royal College secured the Men’s championship in style over strong Sri Lanka Army in the finals. Visakha with their excellent skills in the pool emerged Women’s champions with a win over their traditional rivals Ladies College. Royalists entered the finals with a 15-5 win over RCU Athletic Club while Visakha added another feather to their water polo crown defeating Ladies College in the finals with an easy 12-3 win.
In the Men’s finals Royal College led in the first quarter with 5 goals to 3 goals and in the second quarter Savinda Dissanayake stood high with some inspiring moves allowing the opponents to score only two goals. The game ended in Royal’s favour 12-5. Visakha Vidyalaya who has been dominant against Ladies College was the overwhelming favourites headed to the game and lived upto the tag.
In the finals Visakha were on song from the first whistle as two smartly taken goals put them in the driving seat heading into the second quarter. Visakhians never stopped from where they started making fierce shots at the Ladies goal and pouncing on the gaps to increase the tally to 5 goals.
Ladies were too late to open their account in the 3rd quarter and by the time the Visakhians were heading towards victory with former junior national skipper Shaleena Peiris and Nuravi Assalaarachchi sharing the final tally of 12 goals, with 5 goals each to their name in reply to Ladies’ 3 goals.
– Lakshman Ranasinghe