Eight player episode settled amicably
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Video footage show Royal having an extra player at a stage
Following an initial insinuation that Royal College had cheated in fielding an extra player in the Dr. R.L. Hayman Trophy water polo encounter with traditional rivals, St. Thomas’, the Mount Lavinia School later recanted to allow the points accumulated by their traditional rivals to be counted in computing the tally of the two games.
Royal College, while admitting what they said was a bona fide mistake in playing an extra player for 1 minute and 45 seconds dismissed the allegation that it was a “deliberate ploy”. In a letter from their Principal to the Acting Warden of S. Thomas’ on Friday they offered to forfeit the results which stood in Royal’s favour 9-7.
The respond made by S. Thomas' on October 5
However, the Acting Warden responded the same day saying “we commend Royal College for the generous and magnanimous offer to forfeit the points obtained in the 1st leg”, however in keeping with the “rich tradition and the spirit of sportsmanship” between the two Colleges, the 9-7 points in favour of Royal College should be carried to the 2nd leg and counted in the final aggregate.
The ‘first leg’ encounter of the R.L. Hayman Trophy water-polo encounter was held on September 29 at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo in which Royal won 9-7 but later it was revealed that the winners had an extra player in the pool during the latter part of the game.
Royal had received a letter from S. Thomas' on October 1, and this was their reply on October 5
None of the members of both teams, match officials, team officials or even the spectators were aware of such an occurrence, due to the intensity of the game.
Royal College explained what happened saying it was due to their goalie joining the team from outside the pool after the time out called by STC. The fact that there was an extra player went unnoticed by the players, the coaching staff of both Royal and St. Thomas’ and the match officials. In fact it appears to have come to light only whilst seeing video replays subsequent to the game,” a letter sent by Royal College to their traditional foes, dated October 5, stated.
The letter goes on to say that ‘No protests were lodged at the time of the incident or within the stipulated time after the conclusion of the game and further reminds of a similar incident which took place in 2016 from the Thomian camp.
(Details of yesterday’s game on this page)