Sports Minister sticks to original squad; Says he did not get resignations [November 02 2008]

Sri Lanka rugby squad to the forthcoming five-nation tournament in Taiwan will be unchanged despite the resignation of the new selection committee, headed by Rohan Abeykoon. Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge told the Observer Online today that he has not received any resignationapers from the rugby selectors.

"Even o they send resignations, I won't accept and will ask them to continue. But definitely there will be no change in the squad which I have already approved," the Minister said. But the selectors said yesterday that they have tendered their resignations as the Sports Minister has made a change to the original 24-member squad forwarded for his ratification last Friday.

The main reason for the selectors to resign was the omission Imran Bisthamin. But Minister Lokuge said he will not include the Kandy SC player and will stick to the original squad approved him.