Fazil Marija has got the best out of KSC in rugby

by Hafiz Marikar

Fazil Marija the present Kandy Sports Club's promising fly-half who reads the game very well and has a strong right boot, can be rated as the best ruggerite in the running league tournament and the best in this position. He learnt his rugby at Kingswood College under G. Gunadasa for one year and later under his cousin Ronnie Ibrahim for three years. While at school, he was invited by Kandy Sports Club, through Nalaka Weerakkody in 2004.

Marija led the club to win the triple and also led Sri Lanka and is also the present national sevens captain. He is a ruggerite, who has dedicated himself for rugby and spent a lot of time learning the finer points of the game. He is a good thinker and is good at sending passes long range and up-and-under and is also good at goal-kicking.

Fazil is a household name in rugby and has been a formidable figure in club rugby from 2004. He is a player, leader, creator and altogether a fine example for all his teammates. He is a player with plenty of ideas and ambitions and certainly a knowledgeable ruggerite in the scene today. Marija's capabilities and his potential cannot be matched by any of his teammates.

Keeps Kandy SC together

Fazil the play-maker and it is his excellent combination that keeps the Nittawella club on the move. Marija's knowledge and pattern of play that has helped him to earn a name for himself. He has already etched his name in the Kandy Sports Club rugby history books as one of the best dedicated ruggerites. Deceptively fast and strong fly-half.

Led Kandy and Sri Lanka

was in 2004 as a schoolboy, Marija was invited to play for Kandy Sports Club in the Clifford Cup knockout tournament and today he has studied the game of rugby. This season, he has played in six games, he missed only the Sharks Rugby Club game due to an injury. As Kandy Sports Club's first-choice fly-half with an exhilarating performance against Navy SC, Havelock SC and CR and FC.

He has played so well that he has helped Kandy in no small way to chalk up many victories. In 2010 he led his club and led Sri Lanka as well. Fazil has also captained MAS Holdings at Mercantile Sevens, Central Kings, Northern Gladiators in the Carlton sevens. Since 2003 he has been sporting the national jersey,. He is a ruggerite who leads from the front in an exemplary manner throughout this first round.

Sri Lanka has not seen a player of his calibre for some time. The best quality in Fazil is that he is an extraordinary person, with plenty of talent, who can read the game cleverly in making changes on the spot.

Rugby has changed over the past 12 years but the basic skills of this fly-half is still the same.

Fazil hails from a famous Malay sporting family, who are crazy for rugby. His father Abdul Rasheed Marijan did sports for Police, Mother Fareeda Sherifdeen did sports at Kandy Good Shepherd Convent, it was she who encouraged Fazil to take up rugby, his uncles Tuany Amidon played football and rugby for Army and was a All-Ceylon football player and the best dribbler in Asia, Kamil "Roy" Amith played for Kandy S.C., T.M.N. Sherifdeen - Navy SC, Fazil's cousins Ibrahim brothers Raja, Roy, Ronnie, Rinnie, Nilifer, Buks brothers Ansar and Amjad all played for Kandy SC, Dev Ananda played for Navy SC, his own brother Faizal is with Kandy SC. Except for Tuany Amidon, the others are products of Kingswood College.

Someone like Fazil, is the man who controls the game exceptionally well and keeps the team together.