Hutch to prop up CH and FC rugby

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

The Colombo Hockey and Football Club will field a strong side this year which is packed with national players and should give of their best in the forthcoming rugby season said the secretary of the club Shiran Anthony at a press briefing held at CH and FC pavilion last week regarding the sponsorship of the club by Hutch Telecommunications for the third successive year.

Anthony thanked Hutch Telecommunications for coming forward to sponsor the club for the third successive year and the club is determined to give of their best to give the sponsors adequate mileage.

The club will be led by Sri Lanka prop forward Jayantha Ranaweera and will also have the services of national players Achala Perera, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Sumedha Malewana, Manjula Ruwantilleke, Dilanka Wijesekera, Dinuk de S. Wijayeratne and Lakala Perera and should give Kandy and CR and FC.

Proud rugby history

He said that CH and FC was a club with a proud rugby history and had produced top class players of the calibre of Y. C. Chang, Saman Jayasinghe, Bharatha Hegoda and Chandrishan Perera and the players of the present team should be proud of wearing the CH jersey with former national coach Tony Amit to guide them assisted by Hisham Abdeen with Chandrishan Perera as physical fitness trainer CH rugby should regain its past glory.

The Deputy CEO of Hutch Telecommunications Lasantha Perera said that CH and FC was the only club to give Kandy SC a fight in both matches - losing 11-16 at Nittawela and 5-16 in Colombo after leading at half time and should give of their best this season. CH skipper Jayantha Ranaweera and four other players are employed at Hutch.

Handsome cash awards

The firm has decided to reward CH team financially based on its performance and it will receive handsome cash awards if it wins the ‘A’ division league and knock-out tournaments.