Gayan leads 24-member squad for Youth Rugby Asiad

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

Kingswoodian Gayan Weeraratne has been entrusted with the task of leading the 24-member Sri Lanka under-20 team for the Youth Rugby Asiad which will be worked off in Brunei from December 13 to 21, 2007.

Weeraratne a superb centre had an excellent season for his school and was a member of the Sri Lanka Sevens pool for the Singer-Sri Lankan Sevens in Kandy. He was also the vice captain of the Sri Lanka team which took part in last year's Youth Rugby Asiad in Chinese Taipei.

The national selection committee of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union which met on Monday picked a 24-member squad which includes 12 players from Colombo and 12 from Kandy.

Eleven players who took part in last year's Youth Rugby Asiad have retained their places in the team -Gayan Weeraratne, Bilal Hassen, Sean Wanigasekera, Imran Noor, Zaffer Jahn, Sashika Jayawardena, Shanaka Peters, Roshan Wijesiri, Dinusha Chaturanga, Kusal Rankothge and A. N. Hettiarachchi.

The Sri Lanka youth team which will leave for Brunei on December 12 will confront Thailand in their first match on December 14 and will then play against Hong Kong on December 17.

The winner of this year's Youth Rugby Asiad will qualify to take part in next year's Youth World Cup in Chile along with last year's champions Japan who are not taking part in this year's Youth Rugby Asiad. Sri Lanka will play in Division one of this year's tournament along with Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore and Guam.

The Lankans who field a well balanced team with a powerful set of forwards and a superb back division should give of their best in this year's tournament having failed to impress in last year's Youth Rugby Asiad finishing in sixth position with a solitary win over Singapore.

The 24-member Sri Lanka under-20 rugby squad:

Prop Forwards: Thilanga Gunatilleke (Dharmaraja), Andrew Jegan (Wesley and Havelocks), Sathya Ranatunga (Trinity).

Hookers: Bilal Hassen (Royal), B. Abeysinghe (Vidyartha).

Lock Forwards: Sean Wanigasekera (Trinity), Chanaka Galappathy (Nalanda), Zaffer Jahn (Wesley).

Third Row Forwards: Sashika Jayawardena (St. Anthonys), Gayan Ratnage (Kingswood), Thilan Bulner, Imran Noor and Poornaka Delpachitra (all three from St. Peters).

Scrum Halves: Shanaka Peters (Wesley).

Fly Halves: Roshan Wijesiri (St. Anthony's), Chanaka Chandimal (Vidyartha and Air Force).

Centres: Gayan Weeraratne (captain, Kingswood), Harsha Werakkody (St. Peter's), Damith Udyanga (Isipatana), Dinusha Chathuranga (Isipatana).

Wingers: Kusal Rankothge (St. Anthony's), Chula Susantha (Kingswood).

Full backs: A. N. Hettiarachchi (Dharmaraja), Reza Mubarak (Isipatana).

Coach: Sanath Martis.

Assistant coach: Ananda Kasturiarachchi.

Manager: Lt. Colonel Dhammika Gunasekera.