2022 was a season to remember for Royal water polo squad
View(s):It was six years ago, when the Royal College Under-15 water polo team last managed to secure a major school level water polo title. In 2016, the juniors managed to win the Under-15 category of the Public Schools Water Polo Tournament which remained to be the last major victory the team recorded till 2022. The break of the Covid-19 pandemic has given rise to conversations on how the pandemic has affected sports and its performers in the long run and the bunch of players managed to fight against those odds the ended season.
The Royal College Under-15 water polo team for the year 2022 started of their year following a long break out of consistency due to the pandemic. The season kicked off well for the young ones following their victory at the Novices Water Polo Championships beating arch rivals S. Thomas’ College in the final with a final score of 6-5. Lithum Karunasena topped the list of highest goal scorers with 12 goals to his name. The Novices Water Polo Championship was followed by the all-important Mahinda Liyanage Challenge Trophy, a trophy that inspired many budding Royalists and Thomians along their journey for the prestigious Dr. R.L. Hayman Trophy. It is absolutely fair to pronounce the Mahinda Liyanage as the biggest and most awaited game of the season for the Under-15s from both schools. Royal College last won the encounter in 2015 under the leadership of Sawinda Dissanayaka and the guidance of Sanjaya Fernando.
Many teams have tried ever since yet, never managed to get over the line. 2022’s face off was played at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex as per usual terms with the two legs been played on October 1 and 8 respectively. Royal College drew first blood winning the initial leg 12-10. The second leg went in the way of the Thomians by a goal, yet, the Royalists bagged the trophy leading on aggregate 22 goals to 21. The Mahinda Liyanage Challenge trophy had returned to Reid Avenue after a lapse of seven years following a victory worth the wait.
The confidence and chemistry that had been built within the camp was enough to make sure it was only victories during the rest of the season. Nalanda College Under-15s were outplayed thereafter at the annual Royal College vs Nalanda College encounter by a whopping 21 goals. It was a finish to remember as the scores settled at a record 26-5.
The contingent later on won the Under-15 category of the Sri Lanka Schools Water Polo Tournament beating D.S. Senanayake College 20-1 in the semi-final and Nalanda College 15-0 in the final. The Royal Under-15s laid the icing on the cake after securing the Junior Nationals title a few weeks later beating the same opponents they had met in the semi-final and final respectively during the previous campaign. The Royalists won the semi-final against D.S. Senanayake College 19-1 and the final against Nalanda College by 16-2. Both Lithum Karunasena and Yusuf Shihar troubled the opponents coming out as the top scorers at Junior Nationals sharing 16 goals between them. Eventually the team ended the season on the highest note winning all the major tournaments of the year.
Bihandu Katugampola and Yusuf Shihar did exceptionally well leading the camp to an unforgettable year. Bihandu Katugampola happens to be the younger brother of Umindu Katugampola, a key role player among the Royal College Under-19s. The team was guided to perfection by Head Coach Yahodha Wasalage and Assistant Coach Kalindu Hettiarachchi, two big names in
Sri Lanka schools’ water polo of their respective eras.
Yashodha Wasalage has been a part of the Under-15 system at Royal since 2017 and has intelligently invested focus on building players for the longer run. The year 2022 will definitely remain to be a year that has raised the bar for all junior water polo players present and future. A lot of water polo enthusiasts in Sri Lanka will be extremely anxious to see this bunch of players come out and express themselves at the Dr. R.L. Hayman Trophy in years to come.