Five new players in Sri Lanka team for Chinese Taipei
Ranjeeva Seneviratne
Police lock forward Pradeep Wilson was a last minute inclusion in the
Sri Lanka rugby team which left for Chinese Taipei yesterday to take
part in the Asian Five Nations Rugby Tournament from November 12 to 15,
2008.
Sports and Public Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge who was first
reluctant to approve Wilson's name finally gave his consent for his
inclusion in the squad and also appointed Roshan Deen as the manager and
national selector Chaminda Rupasinghe as the tour selector.
Wilson's presence will see the shifting of CR and FC's Ashen
Karthelis who will move to the third row to replace Kandy SC's Seen
Wijesinghe who has withdrawn from the team due to medical reasons.
The Sports Minister also approved the names of CR and FC full back
Roza Mubarak, CH and FC centre Shane Dissanayake and Sri Lanka youth
players Bilal Hassen (Royal) and Sajith Saranga (Isipathana) who have
been brought into the team as replacement for four Kandy SC players who
withdrew from the squad Sinjeewa Jayasinghe, Radhika Hettiarachci,
Anuranga Walpola and Pradeep Liyanage.'
Jayasinghe and Hettiarachchi withdrew from the squad in protest over
the exclusion of Kandy SC No. 8 Imran Bisthamin and for appointing
Dushanth Lewke of CR and FC as the captain while Liyanage, Walpola and
Wijesinghe pulled out from the squad as they had not fully recovered
from their injuries.
Dushanth Luwke will lead the Sri Lanka team against Chinese Taipei in
the first match on November 12 while CH and FC flanker Dilantha
Wijesekera will captain in the second game against either China or
Singapore on November 15.
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