Kandy SC hosts Havelocks

By S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corre

The defending champions Kandy sports Club will open their rugby season for the year when they take on Havelocks sports Club in their Caltex rugby league tournament match to be played at the Nittawela Stadium in Kandy on Sunday May 2 with the kick off at 4.30 P.M.

Kandy Sports Club will be led by old Kingswoodian and Sri Lanka fly half Fazil Marija. But he will not play in this match as he is nursing a leg injury which he sustained abroad while playing for the national team. He will be out of action for the next three weeks according to the Secretary of kandy SC Leslie de zoysa.

Also in the injured list is another Sri lanka player in centre Gayan Weerarathe but his injury is not serious and will be fit to play next week.

Among the recruite are old Kinswoodian and hooker Achala Perera and forward Kasun Silva of CH & FC and promising centre from Dharmaraja college Dharshana Ettipola and stand off Roshan Weeraratne last year's Kingswood College skipper. Sri Lanka's full back Radhika Hettiarachchi who played for Kandy SC last year has still not turned up for practices and his whereabouts is still not known. Flanker Zafeer Jhan is understood to have returned to his old club CH & FC.

Other than these changes Kandy SC should retain the same side which did service for them last season.

Their likely team for their season opener is Kishore Jehan, Anuranga Walpola, Achala Perera, Eranga Swarnatillake, senaka Bandara, Navinda Pullukuttiarachchi, Dilip Selvan, Sean Wijesinghe, Sajith Saranga, Saliya Kumara and Krishantha Rajapakse, Sameera silva, Pradeep Liyanage, Chamare Withanage, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Mohomed Jabbar, Buddhika Talagampola, roshan Weeraratne, G. Udangamuwa, Chathuranga Prasad, Malinga Gunaratne.

Kandy Sports Club also toured Dubai and South Africa recently in a pre-season training and this boosted up their morale and they are being coached by Johann Taylon assisted by Rugby Chairman Lasantha Wijesuriya and Manager Kapila silva who could also don the white jersey as a flanker if the necessity arises like he did last year.

Rest of Kandy Sports Club fixtures are

May 9th Vs Police SC at Nittawela.

May 15th Vs Sri Lanka Air Force at Nittawela.

May 22nd Vs Sri Lanka Army at Galle Face.

May 29th Vs CH & FC at Maitland Crescent.

June 5th Vs Sri Lanka Navy at Welisara.

June 13th Vs Cr & FC at Nittawela.

The Second round matches will be played between 18th June to 4th July.

The Caltex Clifford Cup knock out tournament will be played between 16th to 31 July, 2010.