Saturday 20th November, 2010 15

The interesting match will be present at the thing about this 2010 Carlton 7’s Tournament. Chinese side is that Navy win plum at 50th annual judo Zhang Zhiqiang – some of the players Zhang Zhiqiang, after play- who were part of this ing his first game a way back initial match will be in 1990, went on to be one of present at the 2010 the finest players to have rep- Carlton 7’s resented the country and even Tournament. was tagged as one of the best Chinese, the fittest in the world. In the year 1995, he became The 2010 Carlton one of the fastest 7’s players International 7’s rugby tour- in the world. A legend of nament, which is to be held Chinese and world rugby, next weekend (on November Zhiqiang, who is the current 27 and 28) at the Sugathadasa 7’s Coach of the Chinese team, Stadium in Colombo will play out of the lot will make sure his warriors host to some Asian rugby give in a good display at this giants and also up-and-coming year’s Carlton 7’s in Sri sides. Lanka. China is the team that has Players in China come been rated the fittest to enter from the Shandong Province M. K. K. Fernando (L), of the Navy judo team, receives the winners’ this tournament. Despites and the capital city which is trophy from G. L. M. de Silva, former President of the SLJA and Retd. High attempts in 2003 and 2007 to Qing Dao, where the 2008 Court Judge. Also in the picture are Rear Admiral M. Pemathilaka, on right, qualify for the World Cup, Olympic Yachting was held. President, SLJA, and K. Nawaratnam, Treasurer, SLJA. (Pix by Jude Pathiraja) China is yet to qualify to the Rugby in China is mainly in biggest rugby event in the the agricultural universities. world but their superior There are approximately 1,500 strength would be an interest- agricultural universities in ing component on display. China but only a small per- centage is playing rugby. First rugby club – The first domestic rugby Superior fitness – team in China was established It is a growing sport in the on the 15th of December in other universities as well and Zhang Zhiqiang, after playing his first game a way back in 1990, the year 1990 by Professor Cao went on to be one of the finest players to have represented the also in the Chinese Army. Xihuang at the China country and even was tagged as one of the best in the world. Now rugby is an Olympic Agricultural University. Here is Zhiqiang seen offloading as he is brought down by the sport. The first-ever game was Korean defence during the Rugby 7's semi-final of the 15th China will surely be one of played in the year 1991 and it Asian Games in Doha, Qatar on Dec. 11, 2006. (Agencies) the dark horses in this year was organised by the Hong Carlton 7’s tournament as Kong Rugby Union which took Carlton Rugby 7’s their superior fitness levels is 140 rugby players from Hong much talked about. Kong. the match. inside the goal line which With proper guidance and University students from There were many other had caused huge holes in the training, partnering off with Beijing went to Guangzhou hurdles for the players to go grounds which made it their existing physique, the and played a game on the against, other than their extremely difficult for the Chinese can be another power- Chamila Dilhani (L) of Sri Lanka Air Force receives the women’s overall championship trophy, the Upali Sahabandu Memorial Challenge Trophy, from inside of an athletics track opposition. One of those players. house not only in Asian rugby Kunio Takahashi, Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka. Veteran judo athlete which had no grass. The hurdles was the long jump The interesting thing but also in world rugby. Tissa Hettiarachchi (R) is also in the picture. weather gods had not been pitch which was situated about this Chinese side is kind on the players as it had inside the 22 meter mark; that some of the players who (Courtesy: Sri Lanka The 50th annual Judo at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Championship was held at the Sri Colombo recently. Sri Lanka Navy won been raining right throughout also the shot-put area was were part of this initial Rugby Football Union) Lanka Judo Association (SLJA) judo jo the overall championship. Australia supports sports organisations in north and east

The Australian High in Sri Lankan life and, impor- Commissioner, Ms. Kathy tantly, it has also proven to be a Klugman, on Nov. 18 presented useful tool in promoting social an Australian Sports Outreach understanding, particularly Programme (ASOP) grant to amongst the youth”. Ms ‘ZOA Refugee Care Sri Lanka’ to Klugman also said that, as a help support 25 grassroots nation of keen sportsmen and sports organisations in north women, Australia was proud to and east of Sri Lanka. provide assistance of this type. ZOA Refugee Care’s project The primary aim of the ASOP will help local sports organisa- grants scheme is to increase tions to deliver youth sports and community participation in coaching events in Jaffna, sport and physical activity and, The winners of the men’s Mannar, Killinochchi, Vavuniya, where appropriate, provide a race, Luxman Wijeratne, the Trincomalee and Batticaloa vehicle for addressing broader champion (in the centre), Districts. community issues such as Jeevan Jayasinghe (on left), The organisations will be health promotion and social Winners of given coaching sessions on vari- cohesion. the second place winner, and Hemantha Kumara, the third ous sports as well as necessary ASOP complements place winner, posing for equipment, culminating in a Australia’s larger overseas sports tournament at the end of development assistance pro- Ratnapura cameras with their trophies the project. gramme in Sri Lanka, which is and certificates Australian HC in Sri Lanka, Ms. Kathy Klugman (R), on Nov. 18 pre- Speaking at the handing-over expected to be Rs.5.15 billion sented an Australian Sports Outreach Programme (ASOP) grant to ceremony, Ms. Klugman said; ($46 million) in 2010-11. ‘ZOA Refugee Care Sri Lanka’ to help support 25 grassroots sports annual “Sport plays an important part (A media release) organisations in north and east of Sri Lanka

cycle races Sri Lankan kept on falling adjudged as the player of the BY MANJULA D. PHILLIPS at regular intervals. match. TEXT AND PIX BY J. ANTONY, England women’s skipper Hazell, Marsh Gunn and The second T-20 match between OUR RATNAPURA CORR. guided her Edwards trio shared eight wickets the two countries will be played team to a comfortable eight wick- among them to restrict the Sri tomorrow at the same venue. The Sri Lanka Cyclists ets win, scoring an unbeaten 48 Association in collaboration runs and taking three wickets, with the Ratnapura Cyclists over Sri Lanka women’s team as Association held the annual England recorded their win with cycle race 2010 at Ratnapura 26 balls to spare in this first of the recently. Edwards steers England three-match Twenty-20 interna- The distance covered in the tional series played at NCC race was 98 kms. Commencing grounds in Colombo yesterday. from the Ratnapura Municipal After winning the toss and opt- Council premises, the riders to comfortable win ing to bat first, Sri Lanka got off had to go up to Balangoda and back. to a shaky start as their opening Lankan innings to 95 for eight. The Ratnapura Mayor partnership between Chamari Scoreboard Chandradasa Jayasinghe and Atapattu and Inoka Galagedara Deepika Rasangika and Sripali the President of the Ratnapura only added 24 runs. Weerakkody were unbeaten on 10 Sri Lanka innings Cyclists Association Thusitha The openers faced the England and eight respectively. In reply, England openers C. Atapattu st. Taylor b. Hazell 9 Matara Arachchi gave away the Lasanthie Gunathilake won the seamers well but with the intro- Edwards and got off I. Galagedara c. Gunn b. Hazell 11 trophies and certificates to the first place in the women’s race duction of the spinners, things winners. became tight for the hosts. to a blistering start with an open- C. Polgampola run out 0 took the wickets of ing stand of 73 runs that came off E. Lokusuriya c. Greenway b. Edwards 19 Charlotte Edwards both the Lankan openers in her in just 59 balls. The openers did D. Manodara b. Marsh 0 opening over when the total was not show any respect to the Sri England innings Lanka seamers as they hammered C. Seneviratne b. Edwards 2 25. C. Edwards 48 ICC gives voice to official World Cup Mascot, Stumpy In the very next over, the ball to all corners of the S. Siriwardena b. Edwards 22 Polgampola was run out for a ground before Marsh was S. Dolawatte c. Hazell b. Gunn 4 L. Marsh st. Manodara b. Rasangika 29 Chosen following an online fans to give him a voice. duck (25 for three). by Manodara off the D. Rasangika not out 10 C. Taylor c. Seneviratne b. Rasangika 6 selection process The ‘Voice for Stumpy’ Then the highest partnership of of Rasangika. S. Weerakkody not out 8 L. Greenway not out 6 that drew pro- promotion will enable Sri the Sri Lanka innings came up But at that moment all what Extras (LB-5, NB-1, W-4) 10 Extras (B-1, W-9) 10 posals from Lankan fans around between Eshani Lokusuriya and England required was 25 in 10.1 thousands of the country, to get into Total (for 2 wkts in 15.4 overs) 99 skipper Shashikala Siriwardena overs. Total (for 8 wkts in 20 overs) 95 cricket fans World Cup mode and famil- for 35 runs, that came off in 44 England reached the target in F.O.W.:1-24, 2-25, 3-25, 4-60, 5- F.O.W.: 1-73, 2-89 around the iarise themselves with 15.2 overs for the loss of two wick- Bowling: Weerakkody 2-0-17-0, world, the offi- Stumpy, the Official balls. 60, 6-64, 7-76, 8-76 ets with scoring cial mascot of Mascot. ‘Voice for Stumpy’ Shashika made 22 off 38 deliv- Bowling: Guha 3-0-14-0, Marsh 4- Prabodhani 2-0-18-0, Siriwardena the ICC 2011 will also help create eries while Eshani scored 19 off 20 the winning four runs in style. 4-0-21-0, Lokusuriya 2-0-18-0, Edwards was unbeaten on 48 after 0-13-1, Hazell 4-0-15-2, Cricket World Cup excitement for this including a boundary. Once Rasangika 3.4-0-19-2, Polgampola ‘Stumpy,’ is giving a world class event and inject Eshani was caught by Greenway a knock of 50 balls, inclusive of Macgregor 3-0-13-0, Edwards 4-0- chance for Sri Lankan cricket some fun along the way. off the bowling of Edwards, the three boundaries. She was also 21-3, Gunn 2-0-14-1 1-0-4-0, Seneviratne 1-0-1-0.