Kandy to maintain top rank

By Hafiz Marikar

Kandy Sports Club the defending league champions, are all out and determined to maintain their previous year’s performance. So the club’s destiny will be in the hands of the talented players now at practices and the committee. Rugby Chairman former Antonian ruggerite Lasantha Wijasuriya who led the Nittawela club to win the triple by being unbeaten in 1997, has wide experience and his positive approach is drawing the players to Nittawela with innovative ideas that encourages the players for a team which has done well over a decade.

The head coach Sean Wijesinghe guided the side to win all the trophies in the last season.

A product of Trinity College he represented the club for many years and also captained the club and the country. The assistant coach is the famous place kicker Nalaka Weerakodi a product of Kingswood College who had a big hand in the last season team’s good work. Kapila Silva, with his years of experience represented Isipathana College, CH and FC, CR and FC, Kandy Sports Club and the national team is in charge as Manager again.

He has been holding this position for years and has given his best with his vast knowledge of the game. Saliya Kumara a product of Vidyarhta College and later played for Trinity, he too led Kandy Sports Club to win the Clifford Cup and played for the National team.

Scrum half Roshan Weerarathne will lead the side once again. He led the side a few years back . Playing the lead role in Kandy Sports Club’s success over the past years he hopes to continue. At the moment he is in peak form , in the past Kandy Sports Club, has done very well at rugby.

They first entered the cup finals in 1954 when the tournament was five years old and lost to CR and FC.

Then in 1955 too, they lost to CR and FC, and then in 1969 after fifteen years went down to CR and FC and later in 1978 they were beaten by Havelock Sports Club.

It took Kandy 42 years to win a trophy. Since,1992 they have been dominating the game.

Kandy Sports club today can be rated as the best rugby playing club in the country, with a fully equipped rugby grounds of International standard with all the requisites made available for rugby players and its members, due to the support of Malik Samarawickrema .

The club is equipped with an Ultra Modernized Gymnasium.

The players and match officials dressing rooms with all facilities, the club house and the viewing galleries were completely restructured to International requirements.