Four juniors replace Kandy SC players

Four talented junior rugby players (Ishan Noor, Dinusha Chathuranga, Sajith Saranga and Bilal Hassen) have been nominated by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU), to replace four Kandy SC players in the 24-member Sri Lanka Squad for the HSBC Asian Five-Nations Division I tournament set to be held from Nov. 12-15 in Chinese Taipei, a SLRFU source said.

The four junior rugby players are currently turning out for Sri Lanka at the Junior Asian Rugby Championship in Buan, Korea and their names have been forwarded to Minister of Sports and Public Recreation, Gamini Lokuge's ratification.

Former St. Peter's star Ishan Noor has been nominated to replace Kandy SC flanker Sean Wijesinghe, with former Isipatana MV captain Dinusha Chaturanga likely to replace centre Pradeep Liyanage.

Highly talented Sajith Saranga a yet another Isipatana MV star has been nominated to replace former Sri Lanka captain and winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe while Bilal Hassen the ex-Royal utility forward is to come as a substitute for Kandy SC hooker Anuranga Walpola.

Kandy SC flanker Sean Wijesinghe and hooker Anuranga Walpola have not attended pool practices while centre Pradeep Liyanage has fired a letter to the SLRFU stating that he is unavailable for national duty for one month due to medical reasons.

Kandy SC full back Radhika Hettiarachchi is likely to be replaced by CR & FC full back Reza Mubarak according to the nominations sent for Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge's ratification.

Police SC skipper Pradeep Wilson also has been nominated as cover for the position of second-row with CR and FC forward Ashen Karthelis being shifted to the third-row from the latest changes made by the SLRFU to the touring party chosen by the previous selection panel of Rohan Abayakoon who resigned last Saturday (Nov. 1), following Minister Lokuge's decision to omit Kandy SC number eight Imran Bisthamin from the 24-member rugby squad selected by them and replacing him with Police SC captain Nilusha Fernando. JK