Sanjeewa Jayasinghe from cricket to rugby

Rugby: Former Sri Lanka skipper and winger Sanjeeva Jayasinghe who was voted as the Most Popular Ruggrite 2007 in the Observer - Caltex competition has given up cricket and preferred to have a go at the oval shape ball due to his undying passion for rugby.

The 29-year-old Sanjeeva is the only child in the family and has received the full backing by his parents, and today, he has been rated as one of the best rugby players in the country.

The dynamic winger, after representing his school, Science College at rugby, joined Havelocks and wore the 'Havies'jersey till 2001 and joined Kandy SC thereafter.

He has been an integral part of the Sri Lanka rugby team, let it be Sevens or Fifteen-a-side rugby.

Employed at the Hatton National Bank at the Katugastota Branch, Sanjeeva is ever grateful to his first coach at school Chrishantha Perera, an old Thomian, who taught the rudiments of rugby and was the driving force at school.

He donned the Sri Lanka jersey in 1998 and was appointed captain of the Sevens team in 2005 and led Sri Lanka against a Arabian Gulf team and later against Kazakhastan in May 2007.

- R.A.