Rousing welcome for Kandy SC ruggerites

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

The Champion Kandy Sports Club which clinched the rugby's double of winning both the Caltex League Title and the Clifford Cup knock out Rugby Tournament were given a rousing welcome by the rugby fans in Kandy yesterday.

The team was received by the Rugby Fans Association stalwarts Idiris Shafie and Mohamed Farook at the Getambe Municipal Grounds and taken in a motorcade along Peradeniya Road to Kandy.

A large number of motor cars, three wheelers and even a bullock carts formed the motorcade. There was live music from an open truck provided by ETISALAT who are one of the sponsors of Kandy Sports Club. The rugby fans danced to the music all the way while people all along the five Km stretch stood and applauded the champion Kandy team.

There was garlanding hugging of the ruggerites and fire crackers were lit all the way. The first main reception was near Wembley Theatre where a very large crowd gathered and the ruggerites were mobbed by their fans. As a measure of goodwill soft drinks, cakes and bottled water were distributed in plenty to the large crowds by the people of the area.

Next reception was near Kandy Clock Tower and the streets were chock a block now and traffic almost came to a standstill while the Kandy police did an excellent job in clearing them.

The next reception was along Yatinuwara Veediya and by now the streets were full like in the days of Kandy Esala Perahera.

Since this event was holding up traffic the organisers avoided travelling through D.S. Senanayake Veediya (Trincomalee Street) and instead cut across Gamini Dissanayake Mawatha (Asgiriya Road) into Mahaiyawa Cemetery Road where there was another big reception by the Mahaiyawa residents who have been long time supporters of Kandy Sports Club.