Caltex threaten to pull out
Air Force 150 (Dhanushka Bandara 32, Angelo Emmanuel 28, Rajitha Ratnayake 17, Ajith Kumara 30 n.o; Madawa Perera 5/48, Dulanjana Mendis 4/55) and 160 for 5 (T. Nadeera 30, Raju Gayashan 90 n.o; Dulanjana Mendis 2/ 32, Lakmal Keerthiratne 2/ 41)
Navy (61/8 overnight) 153 (Madawa Perera 34, Dulanjana Mendis 22, Buddika de Alwis 39 n.o; Lasanda Rukmal 5/ 53, Chamila Gamage 4/52) At Panagoda
Sri Lanka Ports Authority (324/5 overnight) 438 (Tharindu Mendis 111, Shantha Kalavitigoda 82, Hashan Goonetilleke 76, Yohan Arumathanthri 42, Romesh Eranga 28, Dinusha Fernando 26, Ranesh Perera 26; Amila Mendis 3/84, Mohamed Aslam 2/42, Denuwan Fernando 2/76)
Saracens SC 91 for 4 (Kanishka Amarasinghe 38, Rajkumar Rathika 21; Shanuka Dissanayake 3/ 33) At Police Park
Police 220 (Supun Nirmala 61, Harsha de Silva 35, Aruna Priyantha 35, Dhammika Rajapakse 28, Saman Wijeratne 19, Eranda Harshaka 16; Suwanji Madanayake 3/59, Andy Solomons 2/ 34)
BRC (50/0 overnight) 364 for 7 (Andy Solomons 166, Nimesh Perera 40, Mohamed Asker 25, Devinda Perera 23, Thamara Abeyratne 21, Chandika Thirimanne 47 n.o; Lahiru Diyantha 3/ 99, Manjula Jayawardena 2/78) At Panadura
Kurunegala YCC 214 (Charith Tissera 60, Gayan Manishan 56, Sisira Kumara 16, Sajith Kelumpriya 16; Nilantha Cooray 3/34, Dhanuja Nandana 2/37, Sampath Perera 2/48) and 9 for 1
Panadura (67/1 overnight) 441 (Amila Perera 106, Ranga Cooray 86, Chamara de Soysa 62, Nilantha Cooray 29, Isira Kumara 26, Chathura Nilaweera 23, Sampath Perera 16, Dhanuja Nandana 59 n.o; Anuruddha Rajapakse 3/ 54, Ajith Ekanayake 3/120)
Caltex Lubricants who are the current sponsors for Rugby Football at Club Level in the country since 1999 spending more than 450 Million threaten to pull out of the entire sporting field if the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) is going ahead with a new sponsor.
Speaking to The Sunday Times Chief Executive of Caltex was hard and was very clear to pull out of the entire sporting field. Kishu Gomes said, “We have sponsored sports such as Indoor and Outdoor Cricket, Athletics, Motor Sports, Boxing, Volleyball and sporting events for less fortunate people”.
He went on to say that our agreement with SLRFU runs deep in to 2014 and we will take necessary action if this is broken and another sponsor is brought in. We will put all these funds that investment would grow the countries economy. Kishu also said that, “If we take as a country how much percentage understand and follow the game it would be maximum of 10%. The spectators at normal club games are below 1000. Only games such as CR & FC, Navy and Kandy SC attracts a good crowd. Only a game in Kandy which is played by the home side attracts more than 7000.
“We not only have pumped in funds to the game but also spent on Sponsorship fee, Live Television coverage and Press, Gears needed for matches, branding for Grounds and Rugby yearly awards”.
He ended by saying: “We came to sponsor the game when the Liquor and Tobacco companies were not allowed and the SLRFU was at a difficult situation to run the affairs”.
When Sunday Times tried to Contact Asanga Seneviratne (President) and Rizly Ilyas (Secretary) of the SLRFU both refrained from giving out their comments.