Schoolboy Ashan in Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens team

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

RUGBY: Isipatana College skipper Ashan de Costa has been picked for the Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens team which will take part in the Rugby competition of the Asian Games which will be held in Doha, Qatar on December 10 and 11.

De Costa and CR and FC Flanker Ashen Karthelis are the only newcomers in the 12-member Sri Lanka squad which was chosen by the National Selection Committee comprising Asanga Seneviratne (chairman) Chaminda Rupasinghe, Nazeem Mohamed, Rohan Abeykoon and Lasitha Guneratne after a trial match at the Royal College sports complex on Saturday.

Ashan had an excellent season for his school Isipatana and stood out in the schools tournament of the Singer Rugby sevens in Kandy while Karthelis gave a marvellous display for his club in the Caltex 'A' Division league and Clifford Cup knock-out Rugby tournaments.

Two other schoolboys who were in the pool-Kingswoodians Dev Anand and Thilina Manoj failed to impress at the trial and were left out from the final squad.

Sri Lanka centre Mohamed Sheriff who is nursing an injury will have to pass a fitness test which will be conducted at the end of November.

The Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens squad.

Sanjeeva Jayasinghe (Captain), Chamara Vithanage, Sajith Mallikarachchi, Fazil Marija (all from Kandy SC), Anuradha Dharmatilleke, Mohamed Sheriff, Amjad Buksh, Ashen Karthelis (all from CR and FC), Dilanka Wijeskera, Saliya Kumara (both from CH and FC), Lalindra Rodrigo (Havelocks), Ashan de Costa (Isipatana)

Stand-byes-Nalaka Weerakkody, Dushanth Lewke, Danushka Perera (all from Kandy SC), Coach - Tavita Tulagaese, Manager - Chaminda Rupasinghe.