Rugby’s giants from the hill capital:

Kandy Sports Club - a top rated institution

By Hafiz Marikar

RUGBY: The Caltex League and Clifford Cup Rugby Champions 2010 - Kandy Sports Club ruggerites were recognized and felicitated by the Trustee Malik Samarawickrema, President Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte and his Committee. It was a fine occasion where the entire team led by Fazil Marija were accorded a gala dinner at Amaya Hills Hotel together with the sponsors from Etisalat and Singer Sri Lanka which made a night a thing to remember.

It was nice to see Etisalat big bosses like Gamika de Silva, Marketing Manager Postpaid, Dinushka Karandawatte - Manager Central Region who graced the occasion, Sanjeewa Samarasinge the Chief Sales Manager failed to make it, but was an ardent supporter of the Kandy Sports Club and was seen at every rugby game. From Singer, there was Nazar Majeed - Marketing Director, Singer Sri Lanka together with K.D.S. Kaniska, Promotions Manager all of them at this colourful occasion celebrated with the games heroes in style. Not surprisingly, the champions walked away with several top awards - Best Player awarded to Saliya Kumara, Best Forward of the season to Eranda Swarnatilleke and the Best Up and Coming Player of the League and the knock-out went to wing-three-quarter Mohamed Jabbar, Johan Taylor rugby coach was named Sri Lanka’s Best Rugby Coach of the decade voted by the rugby loving public of Kandy. They received awards from Etisalat.

Special award for Marija

There was a special award for the Captain of the side Fazil Marija. Singer Sri Lanka presented awards to the Chairman of Rugby Lasantha Wijesuriya, Team Manager Kapila Silva, Coach Johan Taylor and also to the captain Fazil Marija.

Anyone requesting historical information about rugby is normally told “ask Malik “ with good reasons as he is a walking encyclopaedia of Sri Lanka and regional rugby expect. As all admit, Malik is a great hoarder of rugby and has trouble being too full of things. This tendency is what makes him the history man.

It gives the rugby loving public of Kandy a sense of intense satisfaction to offer a growing tribute to Malik who has been associated with Kandy Sports Club since 1992.

The gala dinner was very lively at all ends. In particular, the getting together brought many of rugby’s most influential stakeholders and it produced the opportunity for lively and productive discussion. The feedback will be immensely valuable for the future of the game. In closing, Kandy S.C. is a special place that offers a little something for everyone.

Whether you are a passionate rugby fan or you have come along just to soak up the unique atmosphere at the Kandy Sports Club, we wish you a thoroughly enjoyable time always, said the Chairman of Rugby at Nittawela - Lasantha Wijesuriya, coach Johan Taylor was a happy man, and he came out with his experience and how the South African tour helped the team this season, it was a great job done by him.

The happiest man of the evening was Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte. He said every member of the team has worked so hard, I just can’t find words for it. It was the players who really lifted us in almost all the games.

They have made us really proud. What I say, after witnessing every game Kandy Sports Club played, they had the firepower that is what made the difference when it mattered in all the games.

It is unbelievable what Kandy Sports Club ruggerites have achieved from 1992. They have won the League on 14 occasions in 17 outings and the Knock-outs 16 times in 17 finals, in 1998, there was no tournament and in the year 2006, they did not take part.

They last lost the Clifford Cup in 1994. The sporty captain of the side, Fazil Marija, who can be rated as the best play-maker as fly half. He came out, saying that he agreed to the sentiments of the earlier speaker, and was delighted that the team has accomplished what was targeted. It was a good conclusion in the two tournaments I led, if we had played in the Sevens that too, may have come in our favour. I am grateful to my team, coach, Rugby Chairman, Team Manager, the committee members, they all made us really hot for matches, and also I like to give a very big hand to our supporters and the media for giving us the best possible backing.

Best side

We were the best side and I don’t think anyone could say otherwise. Their sincere thanks should go to the major sponsors Etisalat and Singer Sri Lanka, and also to all players. They should welcome back all old players and should look forward of making new ones, I am sure everyone will have a great time always. Fazil said. He started rugby when he was under 10.

He had rugby in his blood and he hails from a rugby loving family. One of his uncles Tuany Amidon who played for Sri Lanka Army was a double international at Football and Rugger. Tuany was a top footballer he learnt his football in Kandy before joining the Army.

He took up rugby at Army, his mother’s brother Shirly Sherifdeen played for Navy, mother’s cousin Roy Kamil Amith played for Kandy Sports Club and cousins Raja, Ronnie, Rinne, Roy, Nilufer all Ibrahims played for Kandy Sports Club. Ronnie is the present Navy S.C. Coach and Nilufer coaches Kingswood College. His cousin Dev Anand plays for Navy SC. Except Tuany Amidon, all are products of Kingswood College.

Fazil lost his father when he was young. His father was a policeman named Abdul Rasheed Marija. It was his mother Fareeda who did everything to this young talented ruggerite to come up to this standard.

He should be thankful to her for a wonderful job done by her. Fazil led his school in the year 2004, and in the very same year, he joined Kandy Sports Club, and it was that great rugby promoter Malik Samarawickrema who spotted his talent and made him a top player by giving all the encouragement.

In Fazil’s short, yet bright career, this achievement certainly will make a great difference where his future is concerned. For a Merchandise Trainee, at Emjay International Garments Pvt Limited, he has all the time to concentrate and dedicate himself for one of the dangerous sports in the country. His leadership is not an extraordinary one, he is a talented guy who studies the game closely and carefully. He became a true friend among his teammates. Fazil has the ability to exploit the hidden talent through encouragement and advice.

This has been one of his features and certainly it would have delighted many ruggerites. All his teammates have responded well to his call and the results too have been fantastic, despite the number of hurdles.

It was nice to see former Kandy Sports Club forward Imran Bistamin gracing the occasion. Kandy SC’s great rise in rugby - was due to dedication of the players, the discipline they followed and the backing they got from the committee what really made the Nittawela Club a formidable force in rugby this season too.

This club was founded in 1874 by a group of pioneer planters and then was known as the Kandy Athletics, Boating Cricket, Football and Dancing Club. The name was later changed to Kandy Sports Club in the mid 1880’s and the sports activities introduced were Rugger, Hockey Cricket Football, Athletics and Polo.

Bogambara - the headquarters

During that time Bogambara was their headquarters for many years. The club they used then was taken over by military in 1939 during the 2nd World War. Later the building was requisitioned for the use of the General Hospital doctors. Today, it is the Chest Clinic. On a request, Kandy Sports Club, put out a large sum to make this ground, and by 1954 due to the keenness and the efforts of the committee, the garbage dumping land was levelled and it was made a playing field. Then a club house was built by the Ceylon Tobacco Company, and Nittawela became the home of Kandy Sports Club in 1954. The occasion was celebrated by reaching the Clifford Cup final for the first time in the five year old tournament.

There, two members of that era living are Chandra Wijenayake who was a committee member and Maurice Perera player.

Today Nittawela can be rated as one of the best rugby playing grounds in the country and today Kandy Sports Club is one of the few clubs playing rugger out of Colombo at the highest level.