Kandystill in attacking mood

by Hafiz Marikar

Kandy Sports Club the defending league knock-out champions, will commence Rugby training from 6th of June, with the hope of fielding top class side for the forthcoming rugby season. This time some new faces are expected to join the club and the coaching the club and South African born will be done by Johan Taylor who will be in charge of the coaching for the next season.

It was in 2006 Taylor first came to Kandy mainly due to the efforts of that time Secretary Iswan Omar, a former Trinity College Rugby Lion, who also played for Kandy Sports Club and captained in 1975 together with Trustee Malik Samarawickrema former Royal College and CR and FC scrum-half who handled the coaching of the team.

It was then that the name of Dan Van Syle, former South African scrum-half and captain in 2000 was proposed and agreed upon to come as the coach But the coaching could not be stated as Van Zyle got anothr assignment with under 20 team. Van Zyle put forward Johan Taylor’s name and Taylor fitted the gap well.

Taylor guided Kandy to big wins

Taylor came late in 2006 and coached Kandy team from 2007 for six long years and guided them to win both the knock-out and league titles for five years thought rugby’s double eluded them in the 2012, his absence as coach was felt badly in 2013. Johan helped Kandy Sports Club and the National team in a big way. Now he has groomed former Trinity College rugby Lion Kandy Sports Club and Sri Lanka skipper Sean Wijeseinge as a coach, and Sean is following Johan’s footsteps. Kandy Sports Club’s rugby chairman Lasantha Wijasuriya, got the best out from Johan and he had all the players together. Lasantha Wiajsuriiya knows how to keep he players together and get the best out from them. 

 Malik - great helper for rugby

So, in the coming season Kandy’s destiny will be in the hands of people like Trustee Malik Samarawickrema, Udaya Balasuriya who is tipped to take over the presidency, coach Johan Taylor, Rugby Chairman Lasantha Wijasuriya and captain of the team Fazil Marija.

It has been Malik Samarawickrema’s pleasant approach which drew the players to Nittawela with innovative ideas that encouraged the players to unite and play as one team. Then the experience of Lasantha Wijasuriya who led this club to win the triple in 1997 and being unbeaten in all three tournaments knew how to drive in values, courage, respect, responsibility, integrity among the players. Rugby coach Johan Taylor, got the best out of the team.

A great helper to rugby was singer Sri Lankan and there was chairman Hemaka Amrasuriya for his generous contributions towards the development of the game since year 2000. Behind all the development and promotional activities. Now Etisalt and Carglis Food City too are with this champion club. Malik did a of promotional work for cricket in 1970’s, he brought in professionalism for the game. now almost all the clubs are so even the forces.