Peradeniya Central and Smart Shirts clinch Premier Cup VB titles

by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy sports correspondent

Peradeniya Central College (Women's) and Smart Shirts Sports Club, Hunnasgiriya (Men's) became champions of the Kandy District Premier Cup Volleyball Tournament organised by the Mahinda Rajapakse Sports Foundation and conducted by the Kandy District Volleyball Association and worked off at the Municipal playgrounds at Getambe in Kandy on Saturday.

This tournament with over 70 team participating was conducted in heavy rain for two days but the inclement weather did not dampen the spirits of the spikers. The chief guest at the opening ceremony were Leader of the House of the Central Provincial Council and chief SLFP organiser for the Senkadagala electorate Dilum Amunugama and Private Secretary to the Prime Minister Shashindra Rajapakse.

In the men's finals there was a tense struggle for supremacy between the ultimate champions Smart Shirts SC from the cool climes of Hunnasgirigya and the experienced Patha Dumbara SC who had excelled in the district and provincial tournaments.

It was Smart Shirts brilliant striker V. A. Jeewandera who tilted the balance in favour of the Hunnasgiriya team with his classy blocks and also spiked superbly especially the short balls. R. M. Ratnayake stood out for Patha Dumbara SC with his fine dashes but a little bit of slip here and by others saw them tumble to a close defeat.

The final scores stood at 31-29, 29-27 which will give some indication to the closeness of the struggle which was witnessed in the courts.

Messrs W. G. Gunatillake, D. G. Jayawickrema and N. S. Kosgolla officiated.