Sri Lanka field strong team with title hopes
The Sri Lanka Schools Boys Under18 Hockey team, comprising of 18 players and accompanied by four officials, will take wing to India on April 1 to compete at the 5th Asian Schools International Hockey Championship 2017. The competition for boys Under-18 is scheduled to be worked off in Bopal, India from April 2 to 12.
The tournament, which has been included in the Sports Ministry’s year plan for 2017, will be conducted by Asian Schools Sports Federation (ASSF) and it will see eight Asian countries taking part in two groups, A and B.
Sri Lanka is slotted in Group ‘A’ alongside Malaysia, China and the UAE while in Group ‘B’ Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh and hosts India will compete. The 18-member hockey squad picked by Sri Lanka Schools Hockey Association in consultation with the Ministry of Education includes eight stickers from three leading schools in Matale, four from Colombo and two each from Kandy, Galle and Wennappuwa educational zones. Sri Lanka secured the fourth place in the last edition of this contest that took place in 2014.
T.C.S. Bandara, A.C.B. Parahitiyawa, H.J. Hewawasam, A.T.B. Ranaweera (St. Thomas’ Matale, A.D. Bandara, P.S. Dissanayake, C.D.M. Ediriweera (Christ Church Matale), M. Amjad Ali (Zahira Matale), Jeewantha Pasan Edirisinghe (Nalanda Colombo), T. Kavin Soysa, Rasika Viswajith (Prince of Wales Moratuwa), D. Palapathwala (S. Thomas’ Mt Lavinia ), K.U.P. Niran Shasintha and Prasanga Nirmal (St. Aloysius’ Galle), W.R. Bathiya Alwis , Malith Thiwanka Fernando (St. Joseph Vaz Wennappuwa), K. Gihan Dasanayake (Sri Sumangala Kandy), R.W.T. Shanilka (Dharmaraja Kandy).
Officials: S.P. Dissanayaka (Head Coach), Palitha Wasalage (Coach), Dampiya Wanasingha (Chef De Mission), Indrawansa Herath (Manager)