President Rajapaksa thanked for his contribution to rugby

By Lal Gunesekera

[email protected]

RUGBY: Explaining the plans for taking rugby into the outstations and President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his guidance and support for the contribution of the sports. The President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU), DIG Nimal Lewke, who heads the elite Special Task Force (STF) of the Police, said that the game of rugby football has a great future ahead.

DIG Lewke, who was elected President of the Sri Lanka Football Union (SLRFU), said that the sporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa has helped to uplift the standards of the game and gave guidance and support to the sport.

He also thanked Caltex, SriLankan Airlines, Singer, Mobitel and various other sponsors for their assistance and also Deputy President, Asanga Seneviratne, and the Council of the SLRFU for their support at all times. He also thanked the CEO of the SLRFU, Dilroy Fernando, and his staff for their assistance too.

DIG Lewke thanked the clubs and sponsors for the "useful discussions" and hoped that it would continue this year (2008) too.

He explained how the provincial unions and clubs were helped financially and the 20 games that were televised to popularise the sport.

He praised the efforts of the Sri Lanka Under-19 side and that they (the SLRFU) had spent a lot of money on the side and the coaches and said that they should have been the champions.

DIG Lewke also thanked Rob Yule of New Zealand who helped lift the standard of Sri Lanka rugby with the SLRFU recognising the efforts of the national side with financial contributions.

He also discussed the development plan for the re-development of the St. Aloysius grounds in Galle and also the grounds of Haveloke Sports Club.

The newly elected officials of the SLRFU are: President - DIG Nimal Lewke, Deputy President - Asanga Seneviratne,

Secretary - T.M.N. Hameed, Treasurer - Nandamithra Anthony, Committee - Roshan Doen, Sqdr Ldr Sanjay Fernando, Rizly Illyas, Fazal Mohamed, Arjun Dharmadasa, Haris Omar and Colonel Sunil Ranasinghe.