Wednesday 28th October, 2009 15

Games, rugby too has the oppor- Davis Cup (Group-II) 2010 tunity to receive generous state sponsorship. This is welcome, because rugby is a very expen- sive sport at present and could SLTA How will Rugby do with additional funding. The risk factor in rugby union is so alarming that it is about time begins pool the state provides some cover for players who go slamming their bodies against each other. practice Union fit in with The careers of rugby players aren’t that long compared to by Revata S. Silva those of yesteryear. This is because the game is brutally With just over 18 weeks to go for physical now and an active next March’s much anticipated meet- international player would be ing with New Zealand, in a Group-II expected to play in as many as Davis Cup tie to be held in Colombo Olympic culture? 30 plus games during one con- after a lapse of 10 years, the Sri tract season. The demands on Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) by Ravi Nagahawattte sevens rugby is equally stagger- has began practices for a 16-player ing with tournaments being National pool last week, SLTA CEO, spaced out throughout the year. ugby Union is cock-a- Lionel Almeida told ‘The Island’ on If at present, it is the club hoop after its inclusion at Monday (26). that looks after players, then it’s Rthe 2016 edition of the “The 16-member pool will be about time that the rugby gov- Olympics. But amidst the cele- pruned down to about five or six erning bodies, with funding brations, the International after trials to be held later this year. from the state, maps out a plan Rugby Board (IRB) might also The final team will be picked there- to accommodate these rugby be thinking hard how it would after,” said Almeida, a former players in their monthly pay- fit in with the culture of the President of the SL Rugby Football rolls, given the fact that rugby Olympics. Union, who rejoined as SLTA CEO will be an Olympic sport. This We all know that one of this month after a stint as CEO of is because sports federations these factors, regarding the Tamil Union & Athletic Club. come under the control of cen- Olympics, is that the games are One of the Vice Presidents of the tral governments and they have for ‘amateurs’. We are also SLTA and former Davis Cup player been empowered by the IOC to aware that those who take their and Non-playing Aasiri decide whether a sportsman is a rugby seriously prefer to be Iddamalgoda is to supervise the on- professional or an amateur. labeled as professionals. This is going pool practices with the help of The Olympics are held every because professionals put the the SLTA’s present head coach, four years. This would mean fat pay cheques they receive Sudantha Soysa. players might be contracted for ahead of everything else the The pool, named below, has been specified periods only and that sport gives them. There is also picked based on the current local would also be close to the enough evidence that rugby is men’s National rankings. They are Olympics. As a result, state a professional sport, given the (in order of rankings): Thangarajah sponsorship of rugby for the fact that so many reputed play- Dineshkanthan, Amresh Olympics might not bring the ers miss representing their Jayawickrema, Harshana players lucrative offers which countries at internationals Godamanna, Artha Hewacottege, are tempting. With regard to because their employers - the Shehan Gomesz, Guyanga rugby union in the world, it has clubs they represent - show a Weerasekera, Michael Siyaguna, a very organized calendar for great reluctance to release Ashan Dep, Sankha Atukorale, its players all over the globe them for National duty. Mohamed Shakir, Eshan Jayamanne, with tournaments like the IRB Rugby would have arrived at Amith Weerasinghe, Yasas Dewage, Sevens Circuit (an annual tour- a crossroads, if the sport was Rohan de Silva, Sumedha nament with eight legs), the included at the Olympics many Weerasuriya and Rajeev Rajapakse. IRB Sevens World Cup (which is years ago, before 1970 to be pre- The pool includes Sri Lanka Davis held every four years), the cise. That was the year the Cup reps, Godamanna and Super 14s and the IRB 15-a-Side Olympics Charter decided to Hewacottege (who has not played a World Cup which is played address the issues regarding match, though being in the SL team), every four years for the William sports going professional with Weerasekera (who has also not Web Ellis Trophy. the advent of governments played), Atukorale, de Silva and coming up to sponsor full time Given this scenario, it would Rajapakse. Out of them, Godamanna athletes. Hence the IOC be interesting to see whether and Rajapaksa are the most outstand- announced that the participa- rugby players would playing at ing and are almost certain to make tion of professionals at the the Olympic Games or continue the Sri Lanka team next year. A Games was a decision each to sign up and play in the Davis Cup team includes up to four individual international feder- money spinning domestic sea- players. ation had to take. For the sons and super 14s, if events In what would be the first ever record, by the year 2004, the clashed and players had to Davis Cup tie against the Kiwis, to be only sport in the Olympics make a choice. The availability held from March 5 to 7, Sri Lanka which remained amateur was of rugby players for national will return to the prestigious and boxing. duty has been a problem faced highly competitive Asia-Oceania Rugby, when an amateur by most established rugby play- Zone Group-II after 1999. The five- sport, shared most of the ethos ing nations. match tie is to be held on the three outlined for Olympians. Rugby The general IOC guideline clay courts that are to be relayed was initially looked upon as a for Olympic sports is that soon by the northern end of the great tool for education. sportsmen and women should SLTA premises, adjoining Ananda William Web Ellis, the founder be full time athletes who are Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo of rugby, saw that this disci- sponsored by the state. The IOC 7. pline had all that was needed to has also left it to the individual Being placed in a four-nation pool rekindle the human spirit, dur- sports federations to decide along with New Zealand, Hong Kong ing a game of rugby football, whether a sportsman meets the China and Pakistan, Sri Lanka will criteria outlined for the games. which later was renamed rugby It would be interesting to see need to beat either New Zealand or The euphoria that surrounds the losing team of the Hong Kong union. However, this quality whether governments of Asian and many other aspects regard- rugby’s inclusion at the China versus Pakistan tie to retain ing amateur rugby were over- countries like Sri Lanka promote Olympics might be eroded her Group-II position in 2011. In this shadowed by other new charac- the concept of state sponsored somewhat, if rugby players feel eight-team Group-II competition, teristics this robust sport full time rugby players. the life and money associated which also features Thailand, Pacific acquired with the demands of (File Photo) with playing domestic rugby, Oceania, Indonesia and Malaysia, professionalism. The self-satis- often overseas, is tempting and only one country will qualify for faction sportsmen obtained as they refuse to consider any Asia-Oceania Zone Group-I in 2011 a result of their association players in large numbers to a rugby playing nations, South an organized structure in other option. A lot has been while the last two will face relegation with the game began to weigh rival sport called Rugby League Africa, New Zealand and rugby union, the sport is still said about rugby’s inclusion at to Group-III the following year. less when compared to the (a form of rugby which has no Australia formed a body named vulnerable to losing players to the Olympics, but it’s interest- returns that professional sport scrums and line-outs and no as SANSAR in 1995 which gave rugby league which has a large ing to see whether a lot would New National Selection Committee was beginning to offer. Rugby connection with the IRB). To birth to tournaments like the following and offers fat cheques be done for rugby, given the Meanwhile, Almeida also revealed was, however, not quick to address the drain of rugby super 12 (which later became to players. regal status it has acquired that the names of five persons have address the needs of profes- players from rugby union to Super 14) and the Tri-Nations As with all who make them- through its inclusion as an been proposed by the SLTA last week sionalism and as a result, lost rugby league, three powerful series. However, despite such selves available for the Olympic Olympic sport. and sent for Sports Ministry approval. He hoped that the new national tennis selection committee will take office within the course of Cricketing greats vow to Mercantile athletics over the weekend this week. The Mercantile Athletics November 1. pants competing in three cate- carry mission forward Federation conducted meet, The Mercantile Athletics gories. Letter sponsored by Ritzbury will be Federation, in a press release The three categories are KARACHI: As many as he’s touched after watching the worked off at the Sugathadasa said that the meet has attracted Novices, Championships and three Pakistan cricket captains, destruction of the various Stadium on October 31 and 35 firms with over 1000 partici- Veterans. Was it in jest? , Moin Khan, towns by the earthquake. “It and , was really very painful to walk I read with interest an article by having been instrumental in on those rocky surfaces where Trevor Chesterfield which appeared in raising substantial funds for the hundreds of people had been your esteemed newspaper yesterday. He Islamic Relief (IR) during the buried alive just a few days ago. Labour Dept. pouch ‘Peace Trophy’ in Bangalore suggests that Aravinda de Silva should last few years, renewed their We took the responsibility of be given a new post at SLC, namely as pledge to carry their mission playing our part in helping the Director of Cricket. forward with renewed enthusi- people in need,” Rashid He wishes that this office be given asm. remarked. vast powers, including that of vetoing They attended the IR’s Pakistan’s captain, the selections that are done by an inde- launch of Malakand Shahid Afridi, announced that pendent set of selectors. These are Rehabilitation Programme held he believed in looking at life sweeping powers and would need a at the Karachi Gymkhana on beyond cricket and it was the drastic change of the SLC Monday. Moin Khan, another reason for him coming on board Constitution. Pakistan captain associated IR. It is agreed that unorthodox meas- with the IR, was unable to make “When I visited the flood- ures need to be taken to meet an it because he had to air-dash to affected areas of Balochistan I extraordinary situation. Lahore to attend the funeral of was dismayed at the sufferings Let us assume that we do have an ’s wife, Huma, of the people who were strug- extraordinary situation with national who passed away the other day. gling for basic amenities. Even team selections. Rashid Latif, a former more depressing was the inac- Yet, would it be viable to have such a Pakistan captain, shared his tion of the government.” powerful post at SLC? No other cricket experiences at the IR, saying (The News) board in the world has such a position. We would be the laughing stock of the rest of the world. It is a basic rule of management to have checks and balances. This propos- Calling past hockey players of Wesley al does not have any. It talks only of Arrangements have been the president of the Hockey powers. Does not Mr. Chesterfield know made to hold a meeting in order Development Council of Wesley of a thing called corruption? to map out a development strate- College request all past hockey The Labour Department of Sri Lanka cricket team, comprising employees of the Department of “Power corrupts and absolute power gy for hockey at Wesley College. players and present hockey play- corrupts absolutely.” The meeting will be held on ers, along with their parents to Labour and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Manpower, won the ‘Peace Trophy’ at the cricket Well, such a proposal could come October 30 (Friday) at the col- attend this important meeting to tournament organized by the Young Christian’s Association of Bangalore, India. The team took part only from a Jester-field. lege hall at 6.00 pm. make it a success to revive and in the 30-30 limited overs competition. The captain of the team was Lalith Shantha Silva, while the Amila K. Perera, The principal of Wesley and develop hockey at Wesley vice captain was D. Nanayakara. The team is pictured with the trophy. (Pic by Chinthaka De Mel) Kandy.