Lankan Sevens team blend of experience and youth says Dilroy
The Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens team under three quarter Pradeep Liyanage
which is making a valiant bid to qualify for the 2009 Rugby World Cup
Sevens at the on-going RWC Asian Qualifiers in Hong Kong is the best
available squad in the country said the Executive Director of the Sri
Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) Dilroy Fernando.
"Our team is a nice blend of experience and youth", he told Daily
News.
"There are three players with experience having played in major
International Sevens tournaments overseas. "They are skipper Pradeep
Liyanage, Saliya Kumara and Amjad Bukhs.
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The Sri Lanka women’s boxing team with their medals. From
left: Nilmini Jayasinghe, A. A. Nilanthi and Anusha
Kodituwakku. Picture by Kumarasiri Prasad |
"Then there are two extremely skilled schoolboy players from
Isipathana in Sajith Saranga and Dinusha Chathuranga, so the team is
capable of making an impression."
Fernando was of the view that the absence of key Kandy SC star and
former Sri Lanka Sevens Captain Sanjeewa Jayasinghe would not be felt by
the team as they are well served by a talented set of players.
He though, believes that Malaysia being studded with Fijian expats
could be a dark horse in this tournament but was quick to point out that
Asian giants Japan will be the team to beat not writing off the threat
of Korea as well.
Asked why Sri Lanka has not looked into the possibility of including
expatriate players in their ranks in International Seven Sevens Rugby,
the SLRFU Executive Director said that it will be a big boost if expats
can be fielded but agreed that there were many issues to be sorted out
before a firm decision can be taken in that regard.
"Even countries like Japan, Hong Kong, and Arabian Gulf field expats
in international 15-a-side and Sevens rugby tournaments, so it is time
that we too followed suit", Fernando explained.
"According to IRB regulations foreign players can represent a country
which is not of their birth only if he has lived in that particular
country for a stipulated period of three years.
And during that period he can be away from that country only for a
duration of 90 days.
"And the other criteria is that if that players parents or
grandparents should be born in that particular country, and we are
country engaged in finding if such players are available through the
internet", he further said. |
