Dialog felicitates Asian5Nation win
The Sri Lanka rugby team that won the ARFU Asian5Nation Division I Championship held in Manila, Philippines last week received an allowance of 2.2million from the team sponsor Dialog Axiata. The amount will be divided among all players of the squad which assures at least Rs. 75,000 each.
The grant was presented to the players with mementos last Wednesday at the auditorium of the Ministry of Sports under the patronage of Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake and Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, the Chief Executive Officer of Dialog Axiata. Minister Dissanayake assured the fullest support to enhance the national rugby team with more facilities.
With the two back-to-back wins at the ARFU Asian5Nation Division I Championship, Sri Lanka moved nine places up in World Rugby Rankings to 38 from 47. A total of 160 rugbyplaying nations are listed in the ranking. Currently Sri Lanka is ranked fourth in Asia behind Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Sri Lanka beat Kazakhstan in the semi-final game of the 3417 and hosts Philippines in the final 24-15. However Sri Lanka will continue to compete in the A5N Division I next season as well according to the present regulations of ARFU. If Sri Lanka wins the division next year, they will be eligible to compete against the third slotted team from the Top Division in a relegation match, which ensures a promotion to the top segment if they win that game.
At the gathering skipper Fa- zil Marija pointed out the importance of sending members of the national team on overseas training. He said that could turn the Tuskers to a more productive team in the international circuit.
“If our players could be sent to countries like New Zealand or South Africa, Sri Lanka as a team will be a stronger force in the Asian region. I personally attend such training programmes frequently and this year too I attended a two- month training programme. If I continued this annually I will be eligible to play in the domestic championship of the country, which is a once-in-alifetime opportunity. I take this opportunity to request the Minister of Sports to look into this matter positively and give our players such opportunities,” Marija said.
“When I was first selected for the Sri Lanka squad in 2003, I was just 17 and a flyhalf. When I was picked to play in the final XV, my cousin who donned the position for many years had to retire because of me. Those were the days when the entire team depended on the brilliance of two or three individuals. But today our talent is such, at times even the coaching staff finds it difficult pick the final XV.”
Asanga Seneviratne, the President of Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union stated that the Tuskers have the ability to challenge top Asian teams such as Japan, Hong Kong and Korea given the fact that facilities are provided.