SLRFU to invite Youth Team from Hong Kong, Malaysia or Thailand
By Lal Gunesekera
[email protected]
RUGBY: The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) will invite
an Under-20 national side from either Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia
for two games during September or October in preparation for the
country's participation for the Junior Asiad (Under-20) to be staged in
December in South Korea.
This was one of the decisions reached at a discussion regarding
matters that need urgent attention for the improvement of the standards
of schools rugby which needs assistance from the SLRFU.
This was at the request of the SLRFU President DIG Nimal Lewke and
Dr. K. A. D. Punyadasa of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football
Association (SLSRFA).
It was also proposed that the SLRFU and SLSRFA jointly organise an
Inter-Provincial tournament as a trial to pick the junior national pool
for the Junior Asiad and a joint committee is to be appointed to
organise the tournament and for the SLRFU to appoint a coach and manager
for each Provincial Union.
A development pool at under-16 level is also to be picked and for
them to compete in youth tournaments and for the SLRFU to try and
arrange a tour of these youngsters.
The SLSRFA requested invitations be given to the Selection Committee
to witness matches and select a pool from all over the country, who can
later play for a club of their own choice.
The SLSRFA also raised the issue of exorbitant ground hiring charges
by certain clubs and requested the intervention in this matter as some
schools cannot afford to pay such high charges.
They (the SLSRFA) also requested the SLRFU to assist the schools body
to settle the travelling charges of referees as they (the SLSRFA) faces
financial constraints.
International 7's in Kandy?
The Secretary of Kandy Sports Club, Iswan Omar, who is also the
Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Singer-SriLankan Airlines
International 7's, referring to the article in the 'Sunday Observer' of
May 4, states that this tournament will be staged at Nittawela in
September and that the statements made by SLRFU President DIG Nimal
Lewke and its CEO, Dilroy Fernando, is confusing.
When the 'Sunday observer' spoke both to DIG Lewke and Fernando, they
said that they stand by the statements they had made.
Lewke said no final decision has been taken by the sponsors on the
venue, while Fernando said that no proper breakdown of monies spend by
Kandy SC has been given to the SLRFU. |