Ten countries to take part in Singer Rugby Asiad

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

RUGBY: Ten countries will take part in the biggest event in the Asian Rugby Calendar - the Singer Rugby Asiad which will be worked of in Colombo from November 3 to 10, 2007.

Host nation Sri Lanka has been grouped in the top half along with Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, China, Malaysia and Thailand while India and Pakistan along with the minnows of Asian Rugby - Qatar and Iran have been drawn into the bottom half in this eight day tournament which will be worked off at the CR and FC grounds and Royal College Sports Complex.

Asian Rugby heavyweights Japan, Korea and Hong Kong along with Asia's fifth ranked team Arabian Gulf and Singapore have indicated their inability to take part in this tournament, Singer (Sri Lanka) Ltd. is the main sponsor of the tournament with Mobitel and Toyota as the co-sponsors.

Sri Lanka is hosting the Rugby Asiad after 17 years having come up with a marvellous display when they last hosted the Asiad in 1990 at the Sugathadasa Stadium. The Sri Lankans went down fighting to the formidable Hong Kong by 13-21 in the curtain-raiser of the tournament and went onto score a historic 9-6 win over Chinese Taipei and gave a gallant display in their final group 'A' match against eventual champions the mighty South Koreans before losing by 16 points to 26.

The National Selection Committee of the SLRFU has pruned down the Sri Lanka pool from 49 to 37.

The Sri Lanka pool for the Asiad.

PROP FORWARDS - Kishore Jehan (Kandy SC) Jeewa Galgamuwa (Kandy SC), Nushal Meepage (Army), Shamil Mohamed (CR and FC), Jayantha Ranaweera (CH and FC).

HOOKERS - Anuranga Walpola (Kandy SC), Achala Perera (CH and FC), Senthil Kumar (CR and FC).

SECOND ROWERS - Henry Terrence (CR and FC), Senaka Bandara (Kandy SC), Sumedha Jayasinghe (Kandy SC), Dinesh Sanjeewa (CH and FC) Imran Bisthamin (Kandy SC).

FLANKERS - Kasun de Silva (CR and FC), Sean Wijesinghe (Kandy SC), Ashan Karthelis (CR and FC), Ravi Jayasuriya (Havelocks), Dilip Selvam (Kandy SC),

No 8: Dushanth Lewke (Kandy SC), Sumedha Malewana (CH and FC), Zaffer Jahn (CH and FC).

SCRUM HALVES: Amjad Buksh (CR and FC), Tuan Shamrock (CH and FC), Saliya Kumara (Kandy SC).

FLY HALVES: Fazil Marija (Kandy SC), Ashan de Costa (CR and FC).

CENTRES: Pradeep Liyanage (Kandy SC) Avantha Hettiarachchi (CR and FC), Lasintha de Costa (CR and FC), Niroshan Karunanayake (Havelocks).

WINGERS - Sanjeeva Jayasinghe (Kandy SC), Dinesh Kumara (CR and FC), Lakala Perera (CH and FC), Mohamed Jabbar (Kandy SC), Dinusha Chathuranga (Isipatana).

FULL BACKS - Radhika Hettiarachchi (CR and FC), Dinuk de S. Wijeyaratne (CH and FC)