Matale boys & girls hockey champions

S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN Kandy Sports Corr.

Matale Schools `Golds' won the schools inter district boys under 19 hockey championship for the record 16th successive year when they beat Colombo Schools `Reds' 1-0 in a thriller in the boys final organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Hockey Association and played at the Nandimithra Hockey Stadium in Matale. At half time there was no scoring.

The final produced excellent hockey with both teams playing fast open hockey. There were times that the Colombo team appeared to be error prone but their defence quickly covered up this lapse by fortifying their defence with the stickers getting back in their numbers.

The winning goal for the Matale Schools `Golds' team came mid way in the second half which was a rarity in hockey. Centre forward Muditha Marapona displaying excellent form dribbled past three defenders and beat the custodian too but the ball was away from the goal posts and he sounded the boards through a reverse sweep which is rarely seen in the hockey field.

S. N. Jayasinghe and Nadaraja Paraneetharan umpired. In the semi-finals Matale Schools `Golds' beat Matale Schools `Maroons' 3-2 and Colombo Schools `Reds' beat Kandy Schools `whites' 4-0. Matale Schools `Maroons' clinched the third place defeating Kandy Schools `Whites' in the losers finals.

Meanwhile Matale Schools put up a fine performance to defeat Colombo Schools `Reds' 2-0 to become champions of the Sri Lanka Schools Girls Combined inter district under 19 hockey championship in the final worked off at a Nandimithra Ekanayake hockey stadium in Matale. At half time there was no scoring.

The Matale Schools having just three schools playing hockey among the girls schools displayed brilliant by playing a normal game in the first half to burst out after the turn around. They had with them speed and skill which is the essence of hockey and took control of the game in the second half. Their wing attack looked a fearsome one at any point in this half.

It was not long before they sounded the boards through centre forward Jeewanthi Jayaratne. Spurred by this success Jeewanthi a few minutes later sounded the boards through a classic drive to put the issue beyond doubt.

Mangala Karunaratne and A. B. Godigamuwa umpired.

In the semi finals Matale Schools beat Colombo Schools `blues' and Colombo Schools `Reds' beat Kandy Schools `Whites' 2-1.

President of the Sri Lanka Hockey Federation SSP Sumith Edirisinghe was the chief guest and he distributed the main awards, along with the Guest of Honour and Mayor of Matale Hilmy Mohammed.