sport in brief

Kandy crush CH

RUGBY: Defending champions Kandy Sports Club cruised to a rousing 31 points to 10 points victory over CH and FC in their SLRFU Caltex inter club `A' division league rugby tournament second round fixture worked off at Maitland Crescent yesterday.

Kandy SC collected their points from three goals and two tries after having led 19-nil at half time.

CH and FC responded with two unconverted tries. Nizam Jamaldeen refereed the game.

De Mel rubbishes deal with Vaas

Chief selector Asantha de Mel rubbished speculation that a deal had been struck with Vaas which could see him bow out of Test cricket after the match. "We did not have any deals or understandings, and we did not even speak to him. We just picked him into the squad," said De Mel. "We have to wait and see if he gets the chance to play when the final 11 is named before the match," he added.

It is unlikely Vaas, who has 354 Test wickets since his debut in 1994, will be asked to sit out after being named in the 16, but it remains to be seen who he will replace from the winning combination.

One option before the selectors is to make Vaas the fourth seamer alongside Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilan Thushara and Angelo Mathews on a wicket that has taken a lot of rain over the past three days.

That would leave out right-arm spinner Ajantha Mendis, who has been unimpressive so far in the series with just five wickets in four innings.

National Youth Sports Festival at Moneragala today

by Whehelle PIYATHILAKE - Maharagama Special Corr.

SPORTS FESTIVAL:The walking race for men and women under-20 years and over 20 years, the Marathon races and the cycle races for men and women at the 21st National Youth Sports Festival will be held today, on Monday and on July 30 at Moneragala and Badulla.

Walking Race (Men and Women under-20 and over 20) and the Marathon race (men and women under-20 and over 20) will be started from Moneragala town at 6.30 a.m. The distance of the walking race is 5 km.

Marathon race (20th) (under-20 and over 20): The races will be started at 6.30 a.m. from Moneragala town. The distance of the men’s race is 42.195 km and women’s race is 21.12 km.

Cycle race (men and women): The two races will be started from Badulla town on July 30th at 6.30 a.m.

This distance of the men’s race is 120 km and women’s race is 20 km.

The awards will be given at the 21st National Youth Sports Festival 2009 to be held from July 31 to August 4 at the Vincent Dias Stadium at Badulla.

The opening ceremony will be held on July 31 from 2 p.m. and the closing ceremony will be on August 4 at 4.30 p.m.

Kandy District Excise Office Champs

by Upananda JAYASUNDERA - Kandy Sports Special Corr.

ATHLETICS: Kandy District Excise Office team emerged champions with 62 points at the Central Province Excise Department Sports Meet held last weekend. In second position was Matale Excise office with 50 points and Nuwara Eliya Excise office came third with 43 points.

The award for the best athlete under 40 years went to: J. Attanayake of Special Operation Bureau and the best athlete over 40 years was won by M. Jayasinghe of Kandy District.

The Excise Commissioner General Vasantha Hapuarachchi was the chief guest and distributed the awards.