Gateway crowned All-Island Basketball champions
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Disura Dissanayake of Gateway won the Best Defensive Player award
Gateway College Colombo beat St. Peter’s College Colombo to win the All-Island Under-19 Boys ‘A’ Division Basketball championship played for the Papare Cup. With this win, the winning team of Gateway has established themselves to be unconquerable with their unprecedented track record of winning the ‘A’ Division championships thrice – Under-15 in 2015, Under-17 in 2017 and Under-19 in 2019.
St. Peter’s dominated the first half of the game to lead by 35 to 29. They started the second half strongly but half way during the third quarter. Gateway changed their tactics and played a fast paced game taking the pressure back into the Peter’s camp. The third quarter ended with Gateway taking a seven-point lead. Both teams were under pressure during the last quarter but Gateway displayed better skill and finesse to end the game at 75-67.
Mirtesh Thurairaja and Disura Dissanayake of Gateway College were named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Best Defensive Player respectively. Kusal Kodituwakku of St. Peter’s was named the Best Offensive Player.
The Under-19 Championship is the latest triumph of the senior basketballers of Gateway during this year. Earlier this year, the Under-20 team won the Western Province Championship. Thereafter they went onto win the All-Island Under-20 National Schools Games Championship, a month ago.
Seated from left: Tharindu Fernando (Head Coach), Maj. Gen. M.R.U. Bandarathilaka (Head of Sports), Vinitha Shenoy (Principal), Chavaan de Costa (Captain), Dr. Harsha Alles (Chairman), Rohana Perera (Deputy Principal), FawzanThariq (Basketball Coordinator) Standing from left: Tharin Ranawake, Mirtesh Thurairaja, Nikhil Jayasinghe (Vice Captain) Disura Dissanayake, Dinuk Peiris, Iflal Iqbal, Chaniru Ranasinghe, Avishka Hettiarachchi Absent: Ikram Iqbal, Ashiq Hassan