31st August 1997

Contents

Schools rugby invades Sabaragamuwa Prov.

The Sabaragamuwa Rugby Union has been carrying out a programme to develop rugby in the Sabaragamuwa Province. As a part of this programme they have arranged an Inter-School Rugby Tournament for the 4th time in conjunction with the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union. This event will be held today at the Ratnapura Esplanade with the sponsorship of Red Cow Milk which is imported from Australia and marketed by Delmege. The company's decision to sponsor this event is in keeping with their objective of assisting 'future champions' in various sports. This tournament will help to develop and upgrade rubgy at regional levels.

According to the Sabaragamuwa Rugby Union the main objective of this tournament is to develop rugby in the Sabaragamuwa Province with emphasis at school level. More than 51 teams from 22 schools will participate in this tournament. The matches will be refereed by the members of the Sri Lanka Rugby Referees Association. The Sabaragamuwa Rugby Union states that 22 schools have begun playing rugby during the past 3 years, due to the efforts of the union.

Another important objective is to increase the availability of funds and thereby to provide better facilities and resources for players. Most schools have no proper facilities and financial backup to improve the game in their schools. The Sabaragamuwa Rugby Union will be taking necessary steps to provide travelling and other requirements for participation from the province in the All-island Under 13 tournament to be held in September 1997.

The winning team in the under 13 category will be awarded the Red Cow Rugby Championship Trophy. All players will receive certificates for their participation in the tournament.

The tournament committee comprises:

Arjun Dharmadasa - President/SRU

Nihal Ranasinghe - Secretary/SRU

Karunaratne - Schools Co-Ordinator

Karawita - Director, Sports & Education - Provincial Council

Triple for Kathiya

Kathiya de Silva of Visakha Vidyalaya bagged a triple at the Sri Lanka Badminton Association's Novices Championships concluded at the SLBA Indoor Stadium at Maitland Place.

Kathiya won the women's singles, women's doubles with Daluwatta and the mixed doubles with Y. Gunasekera.

M. W. Danesh of Dharmasoka bagged a double winning the men's singles and doubles.

Results.

Women's singles - Kathiya de Silva (Visakha) beat K. J. Gonawela (Mahamaya) 11-2,11-5; Women's doubles - Kathiya de Silva/K. Daluwatta (Visakha) beat N. Nilmini/R.Wijesinghe 15-11, 15-4, Mixed doubles - Kathiya de Silva/Y. Gunasekera beat M. W. Danesh/T. S. Jayasinghe 15-10, 15-11; Men's singles - M. W. Danesh (Dharmasoka) beat I. Priyantha (Dharmasoka) 15-7, 11-15, 15-11; Men's doubles - I. Priyantha/M.W. Danesh beat M. R. M. Vaas /L. B. Yatawara 15-13, 10-15, 15-13.

Sampath Perera leads local team

Lanka favoured to win SAARC Soccer Gold Cup in Nepal

Sri Lanka go out favourites to retain the SAARC Gold Cup title in Kathmandu, Nepal when the championships gets underway from September 4 to 13.

Sri Lanka has been grouped together with hosts Nepal and Pakistan while Group B consists of India, Bangladesh and Maldives.

This championship will also be a forerunner for the 50th Independence Cup Football Championships of Sri Lanka to be staged here next year. The two top teams from each group will qualify to play in the semi-finals on a criss cross basis on September 10 and 11 with the final fixed for September 13 at 2 pm, preceded by the third place play-off at 12 noon.

The Sri Lanka team comprising 21 players led by Sampath Perera and coached by P. D. Sirisena is presently in Malaysia to play three practice matches before going to Kathmandu.

The Sri Lanka team: Manjula Sirisena, Jagath Rohana, Sampath Perera, Dudley Stainwall, Lalith Weerasinghe, M. Amanulla, J. Hashimdeen, K. M. Kabeer, Anton Silva, W. D. Sarath, M. Rumy, Imran Mohamed, G. P. C. Karunaratne, Imtiyas Raheem, H. N. T. Gamage, M. Rafi, Mahinda Galagedera, Roshan Perera, Isuru Perera, Rizwan Mohammed.

The fixtures; September 4 - 2.45 pm. Opening ceremony; Nepal vs. Pakistan at 3 pm; September 5 - Bangladesh vs Maldives; September 6 - Sri Lanka vs Pakistan; September 7 - India vs Bangaladesh; September 8th - Sri Lanka vs Nepal; September 9 - India vs Maldives. All matches will be played at 3 p.m.

10th Anniversary Celebrations limited overs cricket

Hilton and Trans Asia gain two wins each

Colombo Hilton and Trans Asia Hotel, with two wins each, head the points table after the completion of six matches played at the BRC grounds, Havelock Park.

The results of the matches played so far are:

Lanka Oberoi beat Taj Samudra Hotel by 70 runs.

Lanka Oberoi - 203 all out in 29.3 overs. (C. Prasad 77, J. Chandrasekera 48, S. Rajapaksa 2 for 35, M. Shiroz 2 for 47, R. Peiris 2 for 23.)

Taj Samudra - 133 all out in 25.3 overs. (M. Saleem 31, R. Peiris 20, R. Phillip 2 for 26, Ranil Perera 4 for 33).

Man of the match - J.Chandrasekera, Lanka Oberoi.

Trans Asia beat Ceylon Inter-Continental by 20 runs.

Trans Asia - 204 for 9 in 30 overs. (P. Perera 30, M. Abeysekera 36, R. Koralage 25, I. Subasinghe 26, R. Siriwardena 29, Dilshan Viranga 2 for 19).

Ceylon Inter Continental -184 for 8 in 30 overs. (Janaka Perera 23, Nishantha Perera 24, S. Blackett 33).

Man of the Match - M. Abeysekera, Trans Asia.

Colombo Hilton beat Taj Samudra by 199 runs.

Colombo Hilton - 272 for 4 in 29 overs. (S. Gunatilleka 63, S, Dissanayake 98, S. Fernando 31, Nishan Silva 22 not out, J. Fernando 24 not out, M. Shafraz 2 for 53).

Taj Samudra - 73 all out in 15.1 overs. (R. Jacob 24, T. Phillips 2 for 38, J. Fernando 3 for 14, S. Fernando 3 for 17).

Man of the Match - S. Gunatilleka.

Lanka Oberoi beat Ceylon Inter - Continental by 103 runs.

Lanka Oberoi - 265 for 7 in 30 overs. (O. Caldera 72, C. Prasad 40, D. Abeysekera 41, S. Jayaratne 48, Dilshan Viranga 2/51).

Ceylon Inter Continental - 162 for 9 in 30 overs. (Z. Mohammed 23, Norbert Fernando 21, Asiri Chaminda 35 not out, R. Phillip 2 for 22, Ranil Perera 2 for 31).

Man of the Match - O. Caldera, Lanka Oberoi.

Trans Asia beat Taj Samudra by 136 runs.

Trans Asia - 209 for 8 in 28 overs. (G. Fernando 45, M. Abeysekera 94, A. Wickremasinghe 2 for 31, L.M.S. Wijesinghe 2 for 45).

Taj Samudra - 73 all out in 14.5 overs. (A. G. Jaakey 4 for 7, S. Chanaka 2 for 5.)

Man of the Match - A.G. Jaakey, Trans Asia.

Colombo Hilton beat Lanka Oberoi by 4 wickets.

Lanka Oberoi -182 all out in 29 overs. (Chandana Prasad 80, N. Jayatilleka 3 for 25, S. Dissanayake 2 for 31).

Colombo Hilton -186 for 6 in 24.1 overs. (S. Gunatilleka 64, N. Jayatilleka 46, M. Rilwan 2 for 17, R. Perera 2 for 32).

Man of the Match - N. Jayatilleka, Colombo Hilton.

The tournament will be continued at the BRC grounds on September 1, 2 with the final fixed for September 3.

Lanka women for Aussie gymnastics

Sri Lanka has been invited to participate in the WAG Women's Gymnastics competition in Australia from October 31 to November 2.

The invitation has been received by the Sri Lanka Gymnastics Association, Schools Section.

Trials will be held to pick Sri Lanka's team on September 7 at the Ananda College Gymansium at 9 a.m.

More details could be had from Milroy Jayamanne, Secretary, Sri Lanka Gymnastics Association (Schools) at Isurupaya, Battaramulla.

Talking Point

Three in one

Nowhere in the world is the national coach allowed to continue his affiliations to his club, but worse followed when he was found to be coaching his league, which, incidentally, ended on the losing side. Followers of the game are now wondering to what plight this poor man's game has fallen into!

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