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| Sunday, 7 April 2002 |
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BCC sponsors Sri Lanka China rugby match today by LAL GUNESEKERA The government of Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to revitalise BCC Lanka Limited sponsoring Sri Lanka's Rugby World Cup (Asian qualifying) game with China to be staged at Longden Place today (Sunday). This establishment was a profit making venture, but since 1994 it has been running at a loss due to various reasons. Navin Dissanayake the Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries made these comments at a media briefing held on Thursday at the Colombo Hilton. He further said that the past should be forgotten and look for a better future, and that the government has the confidence to "break even" at BCC during the financial year. He further said: The fashion in Sri Lanka is to privatise every loss making establishment, but if BCC Lanka Limited can cut down on their losses and turn the establishment around, it will not be privatised. The new management and its team is already showing results and its Chairman, Milinda Gunawardene, is determined to make it a profit making venture again and that BCC products will be a household name again in Sri Lanka. He also thanked the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) for joining hands with BCC Lanka Limited. BCC Lanka Limited's Finance and Marketing Director, Chandana Rathnasiri, speaking on the occasion said that he was happy that the establishment has emerged from the ashes like phoenix and that sponsoring the rugby match between Sri Lanka and China is a memorable event and that he is certain that the establishment will "bounce back" again. He also said that BCC had a market dominance of coconut oil and other by-products in the past and under the new management, BCC, has decided to re-enter the market and offer more to the consumers of this country. The President of the SLRFU, Commodore Harsha Mayadunne, said that he was sorry that the Minister of Plantation Industries, Lakshman Kiriella, was unable to be present as he had helped the SLRFU in various ways, and hoped that the Minister's deputy, Navin Dissanayake, will follow in the footsteps of his illustrious father, the late Gamini Dissanayake. He also thanked BCC's Chairman Milinda Gunawardene for the sponsorship package for Sri Lanka's game with China (first time that Sri Lanka are hosting a Rugby World Cup game) and hoped that BCC will once again be a profit making establishment and assist the SLRFU in the future too. Sri Lanka will be led by the experienced Asoka Jayasena for today's game with China. The second qualifying game with Kazakhstan is to be played on April 21 in Kazakhstan. The 32-member Chinese team arrived in Colombo on Friday and are being accommodated at Galadari Hotel, and the most significant feature is that George Simpkin, who is no stranger to Sri Lanka, being its coach. Simpkin assisted with the coaching of Kandy Sports Club and even helped with the organising of the Singer-Sri Lanka International 7's from its inception. The Sri Lanaka side has been in regular training under coaches Tony Amith and C. P. Abeygunawardene, who are confident that Sri Lanka could beat both China and Kazakhstan in the qualifying games. China:-(from) Zhong Min(manager), George Simpkin(coach), Zhang Junhui(assistant coach), Wei Qizhi(physiotherapist), Yuan Guoqiang, Chen Jian, Deng Zhigang, Li Yanvu, Wu Yinghu, Wu Zhenling, Song Guifeng, Zang Yang, Jiang Nan, Nu Hui, Zhu Peihou, Zhang Lei, Li Wenming, Mi Peng, Mu Hua, Hang Xiaohui, Kong Xiangdong, Li Shufeng, He Zhongliang, Ma Wenchong, Wang Xianming, Bi Zhongchen, Zhang Zhiqiang, Yu Guoliang, Yuan Feng, Jiang Xuming and Zhao Qun Sri Lanka:- (from) Dunstan de Silva, M. Bucks, Harin Gabriel, Asoka Jayasena(captain), Pradeep Basnayake, R. Ganapathy, H. Karunaratne, Savantha de Saram, M. Jayasinghe, Asanga Rodrigo, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, J. C. B. Withanage, B. D. N. Fernando, Indrajith Bandaranayake, Radhika Hettiaratchi, J. Galgamuwa, S. Wijesinghe, K. Jayasena, D. Wijesekera, C. Nishantha, H. Wijeweera and Kapila Knowlton, Shane Dullewa(manager), Dr. Seevali Jayawickreme(doctor) and Anura Bandara(physiotherapist). The 5th Rugby World Cup will be worked off in Australia and New Zealand next year (2003) for the Webb Ellis Trophy where the final is scheduled to be kicked off in Australia. The tournament started in 1987 with 16 teams, but there are over 90 countries competing for the fifth edition. In the Asian region, there are nine sides trying to qualify in three groups and Sri Lanka are in Group 'C'. The games are Sri Lanka vs China which is scheduled for today (April 7), China vs Kazakhstan on April 14 in China and Kazakhstan vs Sri Lanka on April 21 in Kazakhstan. In Group 'A' are Singapore, Malayasia and Chinese Taipei, while in Group 'B' are Thailand, Hong Kong and Arabian Gulf. Commodore Mayadunne hoped that Sri Lanka could win their games in the first two rounds and play the giants of Asian rugby Japan and South Korea. |
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