Sri Lanka rugby tour will go ahead, says Minister

The Sri Lanka rugby team will definitely be taking part in the Asian Five Nations Division One Rugby Tournament in Dubai from April 8 to 11, 2009, said Sports and Public Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge.

"I have urged all 24 players who have been selected including those from Kandy SC and CH and FC to go on the tour, but if they withdraw from the side, the national selectors will fill their places with players from other clubs who were in the original pool," he said.

"CR and FC's flanker Pavithra Fernando was picked as the captain for the tour by the National Selection Committee for Sports headed by former IGP Indra de Silva, by taking his experience and ability into consideration and we have endorsed the decision taken by the committee," said Lokuge.

On Saturday some players from Kandy SC and CH and FC decided to withdraw from the team in protest over the appointment of Pavithra Fernando as the captain and demanded that CH and FC flanker Dilanka Wijesekera be entrusted with the Sri Lanka team's captaincy after he was picked as captain by the Selection Committee of the SLRFU headed by Rohan Abeykoon. The Sports Minister has refused to give into the demand of the protesting players and has decided to go ahead with Pavithra Fernando as captain.