Hockey: Masters Maroons take Veterans 6s Championship

Sri Lanka Masters National Hockey Maroon team led by most senior National Player Ashok Peiris emerged unbeaten champions defeating Sri Lanka Masters National Hockey Gold team on penalty strokes (2-1) in the final of the Kandy Veterans Hockey 6s organised by Kandy District Hockey Association and Seetha Devi Sports Club worked off at the University Grounds Peradeniya in Kandy. 

The teams participated in the Veterans (over 40) Hockey Sixes were: 
GROUP A: Sri Lanka Masters (Gold), CH&HC, Kandy SC 
GROUP B: Sri Lanka Masters (Maroon), Rangers SC (Bangalore, India), Malays SC 

Sri Lanka Masters Maroons unbeaten leaders of Group B met the strong Kandy SC (Group A runners-up) in the semi-finals and beat the hill country club two goals to nil. 

In the second semi-finals Sri Lanka Masters (Gold) led by veteran M.G.M. Naleem Rangers SC on their way to the finals to meet Sri Lanka Masters (Maroons). 

In the finals a high standard of hockey was exhibited by the two veterans teams played a clean a hard and an understanding game. 

Though both sides used their experience making efforts to sound the board. 

The back divisions of both sides played a fine game clearing the opponents attempts to score. 

As both sides failed to score ending up in a scoreless draw. 

According to the tournaments rules winners shall be decided by a series of penalty strokes competition (three penalty stocks per team.) 

SL Masters Maroons scored a 2-1 win in the penalty strokes to emerge winners of the Kandy Veterans Hockey Sixes 2017. 

For the winners Ajith Manjula and M. Cramer scored a goal each while P. Abeyrathne scored the solitary penalty goal for the losers. 

T.M.P. Abeyratne of Sri Lanka Masters (Gold) was adjudged the Best Player of the Over-40 Veterans and Best Goal keepers award was won by I.R.K. Wilwalaarchchi of Sri Lanka Masters Maroons. 

SL Masters Maroons beat Malays SC 3-0 (Peiris (1) and Duncan Devendra (2)) and beat Rangers SC Bangalore 2-0 (M. Cramer and Duncan Devendra scored a goal each)
 
In the semi-finals SL Maroons beat Kandy S C 2-0 and goals scored by M. Cramer and Ajith Manjula one each. 

The champions Sri Lanka Masters Maroons team was represented by Ashok Peiris (Captain), Duncan Devendra, Collin Devapriya, Ajith Manjula, P A Cramer and I. R. K. Willawaarchchi. 

The team was managed by Ratnasiri Mahagalaella.