Sajith leads team for the Rugby Asiad

Bernard Perera

Rugby: Sajith Mallikaarachchi former Isipatana and Kandy ruggerite will lead the Sri Lanka team for the forthcoming Rugby Asiad to be held in Sri Lanka. Sanjeeva Jayasinghe will be the deputy.

The SLRFU has also named Sanjay Fernando as the team manager for the championship which is hosted by Sri Lanka after a lapse of sixteen years. The tourney is to commence on November 18 and will come to an end on November 25 with the Cup and the Plate finals scheduled to be played at the CR & FC ground.

Sri Lanka will scrum down on the first day when lock horns with India. On the same day Kazakhstan meet Thailand China take on Chinese Taipei while Singapore play Malaysia. Arabian Gulf who gets a bye will meet the winner of match number three China vs Chinese Taipei on November 20.

The first Rugby World Cup Qualifying round game is between Japan and Hong Kong is scheduled for November 19. The second and third qualifying games are scheduled for November 22 and 25.

The organizers Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union will use three venues Sugathadasa Stadium, Royal Rugby Ground and the CR & FC ground to conduct the championship. Seventeen games in all are to be completed during six days of competition.

Twelve teams have confirmed their participation with leading countries Japan Korea and Hong Kong battling to make sure of their position into the World Cup to be held in France next September. Earlier fourteen were to scrum down here but due to financial difficulties Pakistan had pulled out, while Iran which failed keep to the deadline submit necessary documents too will be out of the championship.

The Rugby Asiad in Sri Lanka is sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka Ltd. along with Mobitel. According to an official of the SLRFU the teams are to be housed at the Galadari hotel. He also said that already over fifty journalists from Asian countries will arrive in the island to cover the this mega rugby event which has come to sri Lanka exactly after sixteen years. Japan alone is sending a contingent of 30 journalists for the event said the official.

The winner of the three countries Japan, Korea and Hong Kong who play the qualifying ground will make their way to the World Cup in France.

The Rugby Asiad is also the biggest rugby event to be conducted in Sri Lanka and all rugby fans are assured the chance of witnessing top class rugby for six days.

The participating teams are India, Kazakhstan, Thailand. China, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Malaysia, Arabian Gulf and Sri Lanka.