Sunday Times senior staffer Rangi Akbar speaks to the Air Force Chief and the President of the SLRFU at his office desk on running the game of rugby and other allied matters.

Chief of Defense Staff and Commander of the SLAF Air Chief Marshall Roshan Goonetileke, makes a point. – Pic by Saman Kariyawasam.

The Commonwealth Games in Hambantota (2018). The conviction that International Rugby Football funding of development activities in Sri Lanka following the postponement of elections and the running of its activities by the government installed Interim Committees will be reactivated.

The big drive by Sri Lanka Air Force to recruit sportsmen at all levels and breathing fresh life to rugby in places like Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Dimbulla, Dickoya, Galle and Kurunegala came under the microscope of Chief of Defense Staff, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Chief Marshall Roshan Goonetileke who is also the President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union at the Air Force Headquarters.

The Air Force Commander made no false promises and said that in the past Air Force has produced five Sri Lanka rugby captains in Jeff Rutnam, Mohan Balasuriya, Nalin de Silva, Tikiri Marambe and Rohan Gunaratne when his father the late Harry Goonetileke was the Air Force Commander.

“I may not be able to produce five Sri Lanka rugby captains, but certainly Air Force rugby will be much better off,” he said to the Sunday Times during at the interview. For starters he pointed out that Air Force has climbed to the fourth slot after being at the ninth position in 2009. “We have recruited several outstanding schoolboy rugby players and they will be donning the Air Force jersey at the next competitions in 2011.”

When asked about the Air Force drive to recruit sportsmen from all parts of the island, Roshan admitted that the drive had been successful to a great extent. “Athletes, squash players, footballers, basketball players, especially from Batticaloa, rugby players, boxers, musclemen and hockey players have been in the list of new intakes. Very soon Air Force will reverberate with these new comers. We are geared to nurture their needs and added to that we can give them jobs. All they need to do is to concentrate on the job at hand.”

The Sunday Times had its first insight to Air Force’s great drive to recruit athletes during preparations for the first ever Youth Olympics in Singapore. Sri Lanka’s athletics hope depended on Indunil Herath, the 800 meters runner from Walala Central in Menikhinna, Kandy. Herath’s coach said that the Air Force had recruited a lot of athletes and has been extremely helpful in providing jobs for their athletes. At that time Indunil, whose parents are farmers, had been unable to buy the lad even a pair of spikes and the Air Force had risen to the occasion and had even promised a vocation for him once his schooling is over. Indunil Herath was placed third in a special event at the inaugural Youth Olympics 800 meters and even bettered a Sri Lankan record.

Speaking on rugby referees and their cry that they are not paid their dues and that their payments are way below that of rugby trainers and coaches, Roshan pointed out that referees do their job for the sheer love of the game.

“Take for instance the late Denzil Kobbekaduwa. Did he ever even mention payment? He was totally absorbed with the game and ‘blew’ for the sheer love of it. This I know very well because my Dad, Harry Goonetileke was the President of the Rugby Referees Society then. The dues of the present referees and their traveling will be paid,” assured Roshan.

“The standard of Sevens rugby has improved tremendously. This was quite evident at the Carlton International Sevens. It is sheer bad luck that Sri Lanka could not win some games. Nevertheless I am happy with their performance.”

According to Roshan, Development Committees have been appointed by the SLRFU to go into details to promote rugby in areas mentioned above. He applauded Kandy SC’s efforts to promote rugby in the Hill Capital but added: “Isn’t it better to play them rather than keep them on the bench, like what they have been doing in the past?

He was of the opinion that rugby clubs especially amongst the old boys of schools will be able to foster the game better. On the international scene where Sri Lanka bagged top spot in the Asian Five Nations XV-a-side Championships in Singapore came under close scrutiny. According to Roshan Sri Lanka’s real opponents in Asia are Japan and Hong Kong.

He said that he was happy with the services of Coach George Simpkin and with his guidance Sri Lanka will soon be able to overcome Japan. “It was Simpkin who had spotted Fazil Marija and see how well Marija is playing today?” he queried, referring to the Kandy player.

Looking down at Rifle Green, the Air Force sports ground in Colombo from his top most post at the Air Force Headquarters, Roshan spoke sadly of his brother Shivantha, who lost his life in the bitter battle with the Tamil Tigers and spoke endearingly of his family’s connection with journalists such as Rosemary Moonemale of Daily News and cartoonist Wijesome.

Roshan is an old Peterite having played rugby for St. Peter’s and the Defence Services. He has a huge liking for rugby players specially ‘Viper’ Guneratne and M. Maheswaran, who was later Manager of the Dubai Exiles Rugby Club. As I left the Air Force one thing that struck me was the young blood working like eager beavers for the Force prominent among them are Flying Officer Amila Wijesuriya and Group Captain Rohan Nanayakkara.