Asian Games rugby squad to be picked today

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

RUGBY: The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union will conduct a trial today at the Royal College Sports Complex to pick the final squad for the Rugby competition of the Asian Games which will be worked off in Doha, Qatar on December 10 and 11.

The National Selection Committee of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union headed by Asanga Seneviratne picked a 22-member pool a fortnight ago in preparation for the Asian Games but three players Eranda Weerakkody, Matheesha de Silva and Rohan Fernando pulled out from the pool due to injury.

The remaining 19 members have been training hard under the watchful eyes of new national coach Tavita Tulagaese at Nittawala for the last 12 days.

Sri Lanka will compete against formidable teams Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and China and are hoping to clinch the Bronze medal by finishing third.

The Sri Lankan ruggerites failed to make an impact when they took part in the last two Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand (1998) and Busan, South Korea (2002).

The Sri Lanka 'Sevens' rugby pool from which the final 12-member squad will be picked today.

Sanjeeva Jayasinghe (Captain), Chamara Vithanage, Sajith Mallikarachchi, Nalaka Weerakkody, Danushka Perera, Dushan Lewke, Imran Bisthamin, Fazil Marija (all from Kandy SC), Anuradha Dharmatilake, Amjad Buksh, Ashan Karthelis, Mohamed Sheriff (all from CR and FC), Dilanka Wijesekera and Saliya Kumara (both from CH and FC), Lalindra Rodrigo (Havelocks), Suranga Arunashantha (Air Force), Thilina Manoj and Dev Anand (both from Kingswood) Ashan de Costa (Isipatana).