Have we made adequate preparations for the Rugby Asiad?

Sri Lanka is due to host the latest edition of the Rugby Asiad next month. This will be a good chance for them to make the best use of favourable home conditions and try to make their presence felt.

But the question asked in the rugby circles is whether we have made adequate preparations for the upcoming mega event. In fact the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) announced the squad only yesterday with just amonth away from the 2006 Rugby Asiad.

The 2006 inter-club domestic season was advanced in order to provide ideal training opportunities for the national poolists. Bu we do not see the national poolists making the best use of conducive environment.

The Caltex inter-provincial tournament has given the ideal atmosphere for the national pool to show their capabilities and book their places in the Sri Lanka national poolists. But we have not made the best use of the Caltex Inter-club tournament.

There wasn't a single selector, when the Southern Province beat the Defence Services in Galle a fortnight ago.

It was the same story in case of most of the national level poolists as the selectors for the Asiad were announced only two days ago.

We cant understand why the SLRFU allowed the national coach to go abroad when there is an all-important Asian championship coming up. What the SLRFU should have done was to make adequate preparations for the Asiad under the national coach and not to let the players go for unimportant tournament in a spicy city like Bangkok.

The national coach was a notable absentee in the key Caltex Inter-Provincial tournament match between the Western Province and the Central Province, at which almost all Sri Lanka national players were seen in action.

If the national coach is to make careful study of the national players in a major domestic tournament before the Asiad, he should have made it to the game to get first hand information and plan our strategy for the Asiad. However, he has missed that chance due to his 'busy' schedule here and aborad.

Hard work and dedication are important ingredients of a recepie that would make a success story. It seems that we are not serious on the business though we spend a considerably high salary in obtaining the services of a foreign coach.

But the Executive Director of the SLRFU Dilroy Fernando said they are working according to the plan and the national pool practices for the Asiad will start on the scheduled date.

Asked why they advanced the season and then named the national pool late, Fernando said that was in their original plan for the Asiad and the practices will start this week according to the original plan.

Whether the SLRFU plan is perfect or their decision to send the national coach on leave at a crutial stage like this are yet to be seen.