Soccer starts four days ahead of games proper

by Leslie Fernando

World Cup soccer fever is over and now we move on to South Asian Games soccer tournament with the best teams in the region dribbling from August 14 to 26 at the Sugathadasa Stadium. The new look Sri Lanka team which has never lifted the trophy since 1984 is bound to show their class and bring honour to the country.

The SAG Football Championships will be kicked off prior to the opening ceremony and the other nine disciplines, according to M. Muhiseen Ariff, Director Technical South Asian Games.

Thilina Panditharatne, President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, together with Manilal Fernando, the vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation and the 'live-wire' of local soccer, Chrysantha Perera (CEO), yet another stalwart in the local soccer scene, are assisting the soccerites in a big way. All the necessary facilities such as nutritions and equipment are provided to the trainees.

After Sri Lanka crashed in SAFF Games held in Karachi, Pakistan, 2005 the national team was disbanded on the instruction of Manilal Fernando and fresh trials were held and a young team was selected. Sampath Perera was appointed as coach under two Technical Advisors P.D. Sirisena and M. Zainulabdeen, two former ace Sri Lanka players, and the team toured Bangladesh for the AFC Championship and became runners-up. After the team arrived in Sri Lanka several changes were made with under-23 players included into the team.

Presently the SAG 'pool' is in residential training at Baddegana Training Centre. The squad trains in the mornings and evenings. They are being trained for fitness, technique, tactics, gym work, small side games practice matches with local teams under the foreign coach Jang Jung from South Korea and assisted by D. Chandrasiri and E. Balendra. The youthful Sri Lanka team will leave for Malaysia on July 22 to play a series of international matches. "The players are expected to get maximum from this tour. It will be an ideal preparation for them before the South Asian Games soccer tournament", said Clement de Silva Manager of the Sri Lanka team.

Eight countries will play in two groups and the matches will be played on a league basis. The groupings Group 'A': Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan. Group 'B': India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal.

The draw

The match schedule (there will be 12 matches before the semi-finalists are found from both groups) August 14: India v Afghanistan at 4.00 p.m., Sri Lanka v Maldives at 6 p.m., Bangladesh v Nepal at 8 p.m., August 16 - Afghanistan v Bangladesh at 4 p.m., India v Nepal at 6 p.m., Bhutan v Maldives at 8 p.m., August 19 - Bangladesh v India at 4 p.m., Pakistan v Sri Lanka at 6 p.m., Nepal v Afghanistan at 8 p.m., August 21 - Maldives v Pakistan at 4 p.m., Sri Lanka v Bhutan at 6 p.m., August 23 - Bhutan v Pakistan at 4 p.m.

August 24 - Semi-finals - winners Group 'A' v Runner-up Group. 'B' at 3 p.m. Winners Group 'B' v Runner-up Group 'A' at 8 p.m. August 25 Rest Day.

August 26 - Third Place match at 4 p.m. and the final at 8.30 p.m.

Performances at the 9th South Asian Games held in 2004 in Islamabad, Pakistan, the holders Pakistan retained the soccer title with India being runners-up. Sri Lanka was placed third while Bhutan took the fourth position.

Muisheen Ariff said that a referees seminar has been arranged for elite referees on July 29 and 30 at the Football House at Reid Avenue. The referees and assistants selected to officiate at the South Asian Games Sri Lanka Anura de Silva, D.R. Rathnayake, R.T. Alponsu and T.H. Burah will also attend.

The International Appointments as Delegates and Referees will be as follows: Muhiseen Ariff (Sri Lanka) Technical Director SAG, Alisher Muminov (Usbekistan) Match Commissioner, Samuel Chan Yam Ming (Hong Kong) Referee Assessor, M. Chappanimutu (Malaysia) and Abas Daud (Singapore), two neutral referees. Miron Abdul Hannan (Bangladesh), Pereira Manuel (India) Rasjed Riyas (Maldives) will be the other referees appointed by the AFC and the Assistant Referees are - Rinsin Sangay (Bhutan), Nair Dinesh (India), Giri Kiran (Nepal), Ullah Hidyat (Pakistan).

The soccer training squad:- Asanka Viraj, A. Kumara, Chapa Rukshan, Sandun Devinda, R.D. Ruwanthilake, W.M.R.P. Fernando, Nalinda Kumara, Mahesh Savithra, Nisal Nilanga, K.L.A. Jagath, Dumidu Hettiarachchi, R.A.S. Lochana, B. Shiwanka, Nirantha Perera, Kamal Silva, Nuwantha Charaka, Nadeka Pushpakumara, Nimal Fernando, Jagath Rohan, Fazue Rahuman, Sudara Madushanka, L.A.T.S. Bandara, Thejan Fernando, Pradeep Fernando, Rukmal Pinto.