National soccer pool down to 25

BERNARD PERERA

The Sri Lanka national soccer pool consisting of 35 players who underwent training with newly appointed coach Sampath Perera has been reduced to 25 players from yesterday. The poolists were training at the Kelaniya football ground.

The selectors have kept faith on top strikers Kasun Jayasuriya and E. B. Channa of Ratnam SC while keeping the national captain Chatura Maduranga and Tharusha Rangana also of Ratnam SC.

Meanwhile six defence services soccerites (Air Force 3, Army 2 and Navy 1) too have been kept in the pool. For the first time a player from Don Bosco SC and Kalutara Park SC too have made their grade to be in the national pool.

According to reliable information the pool management have not considered the selection of Rawmy Mohideen and Fazul Rahaman on disciplinary grounds and will not be allowed to participate in any major tourneys conducted by the Football Federation in the future. The national team is to tour Nepal with the new coach Sampath Perera to compete in a Asian tournament scheduled for February-March.

The national pool: Chathura Maduranga, E. B. Channa, Kasun Jayasuriya, Tharusha Rangana (Ratnam SC), Asanga Viraj, Dimuthu Hettiarachchi, Sanoj Sameer (Saunders SC), Chatura Guneratne, Nimal Anthony Fernando (Negombo Youth SC), Nalinda Konara, S. Sanjeeva, K. C. K. Lankeshwara, R. T. G. Raheem (Air Force), M. Issadeen, Sanka Danushka (Sri Lanka Army), H. M. A. Kumara (Sri Lanka Navy), Satheesh Kumar (Renown SC), Chameera Chryshantha (Civil Security Force), Lahiru Tharaka (Kalutara Park SC), Mohamed Azmeer (Blue Star SC), S. Bandara (Jupiters SC), Rohana Ruwantilleke (Red Sun SC), Sanjaya Pradeep Kumara (SL Police SC), Nagur Meena (Java Lane SC), Philip Dalpadadu (Don Bosco SC).