President Rajapaksa scores winning goal for rugby

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is renowned for his sportmanship will certainly earn the kudos and accolades of the sporting fraternity for lifting the two-year ban slapped on the Kandy Sports Club and CH and FC ruggerites.

This is a sequel to the two year ban imposed on the players by Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge when they withdrew from the team for the Asian Division one Tournament held in Dubai, in protest over the appointment of CR and FC’s Pavithra Fernando as captain of the Sri Lanka team.

It was the consensus among the sports public when the decision to suspend was taken, that it was an unduly harsh one which will prove to be counterproductive and ultimately affect the game and its future.

Reading the Daily News, on Saturday morning, the lead story on its sports page was sweet music to the ears of the banned players, their supporters and the sporting public. The President with a sleight of hand and neat footwork scored right under the posts and converted the try himself using his prerogative.

The points scored were assigned to the class of magnanimity that is needed. This is not to say that the players were entirely right. Indeed, they are required to behave as sportsmen and set an example and use other avenues to air their concerns rather than a public display of resentment. Nonetheless the question is whether the punishment was excessive.

Good news

This column surveyed the views of several rugby fans. Suffice to report back that the mood was best captured by a former rugger player, promoter and benefactor Kishin Butani. Said Butani: ‘My personal view was that the ban was too severe. I am not one moment commending the action by the offending players. Maybe they had good reason for showing dissent. But they should have acted more responsibly and like true sportsmen, keeping in mind that the primacy of the game and the reputation of the country should override other considerations. —-the game’s the thing.

‘But instead of banning the players, it would have been more beneficial if the players had been severely reprimanded and even a heavy fine imposed so that it would have served as a warning and deterrent to other rugby players.

‘President Rajapaksa who has been a keen sports fan and promoter has done the right thing in lifting the ban. The offending players, now that they are free to ply their trade should say a big ‘thank you’ to President Rajapaksa for his magnanimous move’, said Butani.

Champion teams

Incidentally during Butani’s time when he was involved with CH and FC rugby he churned out many champion players and teams, giving them all the facilities. When he quit CH, his buddy Malik Samarawickrema who was making waves with Kandy Sports Club rugby invited him to join in the scrum of rugby promotion and help make badly needed headway. The record book shows what wonders the Kandy ruggerites performed with DIG Nimal Lewke as their coach.

Samarawickrema, Butani and Lewke were a dream team.

Jayasuriya in the news again

Matara Mauler, Sanath Jayasuriya is in the news again. This time round not for bashing howlers over the ropes, but with a Tamil Nadu politician requesting that he not be included in the Mumbai Indians team that play Chennai super kings on April 6.

Jayasuriya who plays for the Mumbai Indians led by Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian Premier League is, as is well known, a contestant in the Sri Lankan General Elections to be held on April 8.

Obviously what has ticked off the Tamil Nadu leader of the Puthiya Tamizhagam Dr. K. Krishnaswamy who presumably is upset that Jayasuriya is contesting on the United Peoples Freedom Front Party led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Dr. Krishnaswamy speaking to reporters in his office has issued a veiled threat that he would disrupt the twenty20 IPL game on April 6 if Jayasuriya plays in that game, according to the ‘Indian Express’.

Strong protest

Dr. Krishnaswamy has said; ‘we advise Mumbai Indians to keep Rajapaksa’s candidate out of Tamil Nadu. If they are adamant and allow Jayasuriya to play in Chennai,we would resort to a strong protest at the Chepauk Stadium that same day’.

Dr. Krishnaswamy has also hit out at the IPl tourney describing the IPL as a purely commercial venture with star power adding that organising such events during the examination season amounts to hurting the future of scores of students.He questions as to how the union government allowed such a commercial tournament during the exam season. He sought a total ban on the game. Come, come Dr. Krishnaswamy, don’t mix sports with politics. Rather recognise that sport is the great leveler and that sport has the power to unite individuals and nations?

Stick to politics

The doctor would be well advised to stick to his politics and allow Sri Lanka’s cricketing hero Jayasuriya to bang the red cherry around and show his prowess with the willow in Tamil Nadu which he has been doing, entertaining the TN cricket fans over the years.

By threatening to disrupt the IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings on April 6 in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Krishnaswamy is trying to excel in a different game and probably win the ‘Spoil Sport’ award.

The cricket fans in Tamil Nadu, we are told are yearning to see Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar bash the Chennai Super Kings bowling to all parts of the Chepauk Stadium. If Dr. Krishnaswamy goes through with his threat to disrupt and make it a reality, we are sure the cricket mad Chennai fans will not take kindly to the cowardly tactics and even deal a Brett Lee like bouncer on the offending politicos head.

World of good

So even at this stage lets hope sanity will prevail and Dr. Krishnaswamy will relent and see the rationale to welcome both teams and indeed Jayasuriya.

To the credit of Chief Organizer of the Indian Premier League Lalit Modi it must be said that he not blinked. Rather stuck to his guns that the sport of cricket and sportsmanship will prevail over puerile political considerations.