HSBC Asian Five Nations Tournament:
Sri Lanka confident of winning at least two games - Lasitha
Anuradha ABEYSEKARA
Asian heavyweight Japan along with Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, UAE and Sri
Lanka will vie for honours in the HSBC Asian Five Nation 15-a side Rugby
Championship which will be worked off from April 23 to May 21 with three
of the matches being hosted by Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka will play against UAE on April 23 in their opening game at
CR and FC grounds followed by the match against Hong Kong on May 7 at
the same venue. Then they will travel to Kazakhstan to take on them at
Almaty in the third game before returning to the country to confront the
strong Japanese at Longden Place on May 21.
The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) Secretary Lasitha
Gunaratne addressing a media briefing at the SLRFU yesterday said that
the Sri Lanka team which has been training hard for the last two weeks
under the watchful eyes of their New Zealand coach Ellis Meachen is
confident of winning at least two games in the tournament.
He said that we have gained tremendous improvement in fitness levels
under the new coach and it should stand them in good stead.
He further said that Sri Lanka has picked a strong squad for the
tournament under the leadership of dynamic Kandy SC flanker Sean
Wijesinghe and he is confident that the local team will give of their
best as they will be playing three of the matches in front of their home
crowd, including the final game against mighty Japan on May 21 at
Longden Place.
It will also give an opportunity for local rugby fans to see the
Japanese rugby team in action after a lapse of 21 years.
The tournament will serve as an opportunity to popularize rugby in
the country and also to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. Many
foreign rugby fans will fly to the country during this period.
Sri Lanka which gained promotion to the Asian five Nations Tournament
by beating Singapore 23/16 in the Asian ‘Division I’ finals last year
have to win at least one game to remain in the top division next year.
A long-term supporter of Asian rugby, HSBC has committed to promote
Sri lankan rugby while aiding the nation’s goal of qualifying for the
2015 Rugby World Cup. Parallel to the Asian Five Nation Tournament HSBC
with Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) will conduct a two-day rugby
clinic on April 21 and 22 in Sri Lanka. The first day clinic will cater
for freshers and will be worked off in SOS children’s village,
Piliyandala. Second day program will be for the up and coming rugby
playing schools at CR and FC grounds.
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