Dropping of four key players:

Sports Minister asks national rugby selectors to reconsider their decision

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge who met the officials of the SLRFU, national selection committee of the SLRFU, the coach and the manager of the Sri Lanka rugby team at the Sports Ministry yesterday requested the national selectors to reconsider their decision to omit four key players from the Sri Lanka team for the Rugby Asia which will be worked off at the CR and FC grounds, and Royal Sports Complex from November 3 to 10, 2007.

The officials of the SLRFU, the coach and manager of the Sri Lanka team told the Minister that the best possible side should be picked to represent Sri Lanka at the Asiad in the interest of Sri Lanka rugby as the rugby fans and sponsors were keen to see the best possible side play for Sri Lanka which has a good chance of winning the tournament,” said the President of the SLRFU, DIG Nimal Lewke.

“The officials, coach and manager pointed out to the Minister that the four players Sanjeeva Jayasinghe, Dushanth Lewke, Fazil Marija and Imran Bisthamin had attended 70 per cent of the practice sessions while certain players who had attended only 45 per cent of the practice sessions had been selected for the squad,” he said.

Lewke said that the four players had left for France to watch the Rugby World Cup semi-finals and finals after obtaining permission from the SLRFU while certain players who had left for India after pool practices had started, had been picked to play for the country.

The Sports Minister after giving a patient hearing had requested the five selectors - Anton Benedict (Chairman), Lasitha Guneratne, Norman Silva, Hemantha Yatawara and Ravi Wijenathan to reconsider their decision to drop the four players from the Sri Lanka team for the Rugby Asiad.

DIG Lewke also said that Sri Lanka could not afford to lose the services of players of the calibre of Sanjeeva Jayasinghe, Dushanth Lewke and Fazil Marija who had brought honour and fame to the country with their achievements on the rugby field.