Weerakkody decides to retire from club rugby

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.

RETIREMENT: "Though I have retired from Club rugby, if selected for the National team for the forthcoming Rugby Asiad, my services will be available," said former Sri Lanka and Kandy Sports Club star ruggerite Nalaka Weerakkody.

He said this when he addressed a media conference held in connection with his retirement held at the Nittawela Club premises on Thursday evening. Also present at this media conference were Manager of Kandy SC Indrajith Bandaranayake, President Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte, Manager Iswan Omar, Secretary Mahesh Weerasinghe and many others.

Weerakkody said that his desire to retire from the game was motivated by the fact that he had played rugby at National and international level for the past 12 years representing Sri Lanka, CR and FC and Kandy Sports Club and it was time for me to hang up my boots and made way for youngsters. If I continue to play the game for a few more years, I will be depriving a youngster from getting an opportunity to play.

He said that his most memorable moment in his career in local rugby was in the return game against CH and FC last month when he executed a drop goal from a distance of 60 metres and from a difficult angle. "I could not believe my eyes when the ball sailed over with dead accuracy." It was no fluke as he had positioned himself and had to execute it at the spur of the moment before the opponents converged on him.

In a lighter vein he said that though I retired, if the club does not perform well next season and if my services are required I will don the boots and return to the game mainly with the intention of giving the Kandy team the extra punch. My services will also be available to Kandy Sports Club in any other capacities.

When he was appointed captain in 2001, they had a weak side, but team work and dedication saw them win both the league title and the Clifford Cup.