Sri Lanka's first-ever Test Cricket Captain Bandula Warnapura was humiliated at a recent function organised by the National Sports Council to felicitate the Lankan Cricket team that won the 6th World Cup Limited-overs title at the Max Samremo Restaurant at Union Place.
Warnapura told The Sunday Times, that he together with Jayantha Seneviratne and D.P. Wickremarachchi of the Bloomfield SC were invited by Daya Wettasinghe of Globe Commercial Agencies who was one of the sponsors of this event who was personally known to them, to a dinner at the Max Restaurant.
When he entered the Restaurant, he was told by Kishan Butani who is also one of the sponsors that Dhammika Ranatunga a former Sri Lankan cricketer and National Sports Council member had wanted Warnapura to leave the dinner hall in five minutes. If he does not the Sri Lankan cricket team would walkout.
Warnapura, who decided in the best interests of the organisers left the hall. He was followed by Jayantha Seneviratne while Wickremarachchi stayed on.
Butani, in fact had told Warnapura that he would be entertained in some other place in the restaurant. Warnapura refused point blankly, 'The Sunday Times' was told.
Warnapura told 'The Sunday Times' that this was done by persons who had a old score to settle with him. He also said that he has had dinner and lunches with the Sri Lankan cricketers on several occasions after the World Cup victory, but they have not shown any illfeeling toward him.
"I am sure the Sri Lankan cricketers knew nothing of what was taking place," Warnapura said.
Warnapura said that he would make representations to the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports about this affair next week, as the Minister was at the moment out of Colombo.
The National Sports Council is made up persons picked by the Minister to advice him on matters related to the running of affairs of the respective sports bodies.
Meanwhile, 'The Sunday Times' learns that Upali Dharmadasa the President of the Board of Control for Cricket and his Secretary Trifon Mirando are scheduled to leave for Australia in a couple of days at their own expense to meet their counterparts in Australia to discuss the possibilities of the Aussies scheduled tour of Sri Lanka to play three Tests and three one day matches in August this year. `
Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, Hashan Thillekeratne and Muttiah Muralidaran were not at this function
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that Dhammike Ranatunge has been picked as the Chief Executive Officer of the Cricket Board effective from June 1st. His duties are to handle all administrative matters under the direction of the Board
The five Carlsberg Championship Rugby Games played last Sunday, (May 5) ended, as predicted, Kandy Sports Club trounced Kurunegala Rugby Football Club by a record 59 points (4 goals, 5 tries and 2 penalties) to 5 points (1 try) at Nittawela, CR & FC beat Petersons S.C. by 43 points (2 goals, 4 tries and 3 penalties) to nil at Longden Place, CH & FC beat the Air Force by 30 points (1 goal, 4 tries and 1 penalty) to nil at Bambalapitiya. The Policemen completely outplayed the Old Trinitians at Police Park by 20 points (1 goal, 2 tries and 1 penalty) to nil. But the Havelocks S.C. had to fight hard to overcome the Army by 9 points (3 penalties) to nil at Maitland Crescent.
Going by the results it appears that the two newcomers to the 'A' Division Rugby League, the Old Trinitian S.C. and the Kurunegala RFC seem to have not got their act together in spite of their fielding foreign players in their teams. There was a fair crowd present at Police Park on Sunday to see the Old Trinitians making their first appearance against the Police team. Everyone expected a lot of good rugby from the Old Trinitians with the belief that the team comprised solely of all Old Trinitians and the two Fijians. But it was not so as the team had only four Trinitians and the rest were from the other schools in and around Kandy. The Old Trinitians S.C. has opened their club to all schools in order to give the Kandy schoolboys a place in the sun, and an opportunity to show their prowess in the 'A' Division Rugby League which is very welcome for the good of rugby in Kandy.
The composition of the Old Trinitians S.C. is as follows:- Prop Forwards. Kumar Dias De Singhe and Gayan Kularatne both from Trinity College. Hooker Sampath Munasinghe from St. Sylvester's College, Locks Mohammed Shifa of Kingswood College and Channa Kurera from Trinity College. Frankers Dolba Kotuwage from Dharmaraja College and Rohan Abrahams from Trinity College, No. 8. Joe Qoro of Fiji, Scrum Half M. Farzaad, St. Sylvester's College. Fly Half: Janak Samarasinghe, Dharmaraja College, Centres:- Manjula Pathirana and Blackie Gunawardane, both from St. Sylvester's College, Wingers Nishantha Ratnayake of Kingswood College and Nishantha Welegedera St. Sylvester's College and Full Back Orisisi Kunaleca from Fiji. There are also several up and coming rugby players from Kandy schools attending practices and vying for places in the team, according to the Chairman of Rugby Maurice Perera. His son Devapriya Perera, an Old Trinitian is the coach of the OTSC whose President is Roger Abeyratne. The Old Trinitian who is responsible for the Fijians playing in the side is Dilip Kumar who is based in Sydney, Australia.
The rugby on show on Sunday at Police Park was mediocre where the Police made maximum use of the mistakes made by their opponents. Even the two Fijians No. 8 Joe Qoro and Orissi Kunaleca were not playing to their true potential and not getting their act together with their local counterparts. But the Police played well as a team and could have increased their tally if they had run the ball with their back division more.
Police scored first off a 5 metre scrum when their new scrum half Nilame Samarakoon dived over for a try in the tenth minute. Nizam Jamaldeen who had a bad day with his kicking failed to convert and Police led 5-nil. With this lead the burly Police forwards began a series of forays into the Old Trinitian territory and succeeded in scoring their second try when Prop Forward 'Kunta' Tilekaratne bulldozed his way to score. This was converted by Nizam Jamaldeen for the Police to lead 12-nil at the breather.
During the second half Police increased their lead to 15-nil with a penalty by Nizam Jamaldeen in the eleventh minute. The final try by the Police was scored by winger Sumith Wasage off a beautiful three quarter move which was not converted for the final score to read 20-nil in favour of the Police.
The two place kickers Jamaldeen of the Police and the Fijian Orissi Kunaleca of the Old Trinitian's gave a poor exhibition of place kicking and missed several conversions which were 'sitters'.
This weekend the Old Trinitian's SC will take on their home town rivals Kandy S.C. at Bogambara on Sunday and the Police will be going upto Kurunegala to play the other newcomers to 'A' Division League - Kurunegala RFC.
Hatton National Bank, helped by a second wicket partnership of 110 between Russel Arnold and Saman Jayantha, beat Union Assurance by 6 wickets in their Mercantile A Division limited overs encounter played for the Singer Trophy at Reid Avenue yesterday.
The star-studded Union Assurance team was bundled out for 159 runs with Arjuna Ranatunga top scoring with a breezy 43, while Kumara Dharmasena was the pick of the Bank's bowlers, capturing 3 for 16.
Saman Jayantha scored a fluent 70 for the Bankers which included 2 sixes and 7 fours.
Union Assurance 159 all out in 44.5 overs. (Thushira de Silva 26, Romesh Kaluwitharana 24, Arjuna Ranatunga 43, Upul Chandana 22, Promodaya Wickremasinghe 2/16, Kumara Dharmasena 3/16, Russel Arnold 2/34).
Hatton National Bank 160 for 4 in 32.5 overs. (Russel Arnold 31, Saman Jayantha 70, Muttiah Muralidaran 3/46).
CH &FC scored a runaway 54 points (5 goals, 2 tries, 3 penalties) to 3 (1 penalty) win over Petersons in their Inter Club A Division league rugby encounter played for the Carlsberg Trophy at Maitland Crescent last evening.
The winners led 16-3 at the half.
For the Maitland Crescent club, T. J. Taniela and Nazim Mohammed scored 2 tries each, while fly-half Mahesh Kumara, centre Hamdoon Booso and Kaizara Toupe scored a try each with skipper Chanka Jayaweera goaling four tries and putting over three penalties and Mahesh Kumara goaling 1 try.
Police beat Kurunegala by 16 points (1 goal, 3 penalties) to nil at Kurunegala last evening.
The cops led 6 nil at the half.
Kalutara BMV bagged all four age group titles at the Milo National Schools Netball championships for the Kalutara District conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Netball Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and sponsored by Nestles.
Kalutara bagged the under 12,14,16 and 18 titles respectively, a repeat of last year.
In the under-12 final, Kalutara BMV beat Tissa MMV with Vidyaloka MV and Miriswatta MV being the losing semi-finalists, while in the under-14 age group Kalutara BMV beat Tissa MMV with Yatiyana KV and Katukurunda Roman Catholic MV being the losing semi-finalists.
Kalutara BMV bagged the under 16 crown defeating Ghnanodaya MV in the final, with Olabaduwa MV and Yatiyana KV Agalawatta taking the third and fourth places, with Kalutara BMV defeating Bolossagama MV in the under-18 finals and Ananda Sastralaya Matugama taking the third position and Yatiyana KV the fourth place.
The respective age group champions and runners up in the Kegalle Division.
Under 12 - Ranjan Wijeratne MV, St. Joseph's BMV, Kegalle BMV, Tholangamuwa MV.
Under 14 - Ranjan Wijeratne MV, Kegalle BMV, St. Joseph's BMV, Pinnawala MMV.
Under 16 - St. Joseph's BMV, Gankanda MV, Ranjan Wijeratne MV, Pinnawala MMV.
Under 18 - St. Joseph's BMV, Kegalle BMV, Agnas BMV, Pinnawala MMV.
AMPARA DISTRICT
Under 12 - Mayadunna V, Bandaranayake BV, Ruhunagama V, Paragahakele MV.
Under 14 - Uhana MV, Nawagiriyawa V, Gamini MV, Verunketagoda MV.
Under 16 - Kumarigama MV, Gamini MV, Weeragoda V, Dharmmarathana V.
Under 18 - Weeragoda V, Verunketagoda MV, D.S. Senanayake MMV, Kumarigama MV.
POLONNARUWA DISTRICT
Under 12 - Kalattewa V, Galkulama MV, Galkulama MV B, Swarnapali BMV.
Under 14 - Galkulama V, Kalattewa V, Sevamuktha Kanadavura V, Girithalegama MV.
Under 16 - Swarnapali BMV, Niwanthakachetiya MV, Ananda BMV, Galkulama MV.
Under 18 - Kalattewa V, Niwanthakachetiya MV, Mandalagiriya MV, Girithalegama MV.
Royal staved-off a late attack, to beat St. Peter's by 9 points (03 penalties) to 06 (02 penalties) in a Milo Schools A Division league encounter at the Sugathadasa Stadium last evening. The scores were 6 all at the breather.
The game was marred by an ugly incident in the latter stage of the second-half, when a 'free for all' broke out amongst the players on the field. Referee Dilroy Fernando and a linesman intervened brought the situation under control.
Speaking to 'The Sunday Times' after the match, Referee Fernando said "The incident was sparked off by a Peterite player. However as one of the linesman had spotted a Royalist flexing his muscles, he was compelled to send him to the Sin Bin."
Fortunes fluctuated during the tensed 60 minutes of play, with the lead changing hands from time to time. The Peterite had dominated for a major part of the game but were unable to cross the Royal line due to some scrappy ball handling by their back division. To add to their problems full back Dinuka de Silva was off colour missing 3 penalties.
Royal place kicker Gonaduwa was spot-on as he kicked through the uprights on 3 occasions to score all the points for the Reid Avenue boys. Royal's defence held solidly as they withstood a ferocious attack in the last ten minutes by the rampaging Peterite forwards.
Trailing by 6 points to 9, St. Peter's were awarded a penalty 5 metres in front of the post. Ironically, the Peterites decided to take a short tap, instead of the penalty. The move was foiled by the Royal defences, and the Peterites paid the price to go home as losers for the first time this season after recording two wins earlier.
Trinity trounced Nalanda by 60 points (06 goals, 3 tries, 01 penalty) to nil at Nittawella yesterday.
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