Ibrahim to coach Dharmaraja

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy sports corr.

RUGBY: Sri Lanka and Kandy Sports Clubs utility player and Old Kingswoodian Nilufer Ibrahim will coach Dharmaraja College during the current inter-school rugby season.

He fills the breach created by another former Kandy Sports Club and Sri Lanka player Asoka Jayasena who left the island for employment.

Nilufer Ibrahim is one of the finest products produced by Kingswood and last of the Ibrahim brothers to excel in the rugby field both for Kingswood and Kandy Sports Club. His elder brothers Raja, Ronnie and the late Rinnie were excellent rugby players and so were his cousins Anju and Amjad Buksh.

They all served Kingswood’s rugby with dedication for over 15 years and there was a period that the Randles Hill School was never without a Ibrahim in the side.

Nilufer Ibrahim may not have many national representation and has been regularly in the national pool.

This was due to no fault of his. He has been an utility player playing fpr the club as scrum half, fly half, centre and full back and played his part to stop the gap. He did not specialise in position during the season and this cost him dearly. Three years ago he had to miss a full season due to a stomach ailment but bounced back strongly the following season.

Nilufer with his experience has moulded the Rajan team into a fighting outfit during the short period he has been training them.

They have played two matches and did well to beat Prince of Wales 24 - 0 under extremely wet conditions and next they overwhelmed St. Sylvesters College 36-12. Their line has been still not crossed.