Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens team drawn into pool 'C'

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens team have been drawn into pool 'C' along with host nation Hong Kong and India in the Asian Qualifier of the Rugby World Cup Sevens which will be worked off at the Causeway Bay stadium, Hong Kong on October 4 and 5, 2008.

Asian heavyweights Japan are in pool 'A' with Kazakhstan and Thailand while the mighty Koreans have been drawn into pool 'B' along with Chinese Taipei and Singapore. with China, Malaysia and lowly placed Guam in pool 'D'.

The Sri Lankan sevens team will confront India in their first match on October 4 at 3.26 p.m. followed by the match against host nation Hong Kong at 6 p.m. on the same day.

The winner of pool 'A' will take on the winner of pool 'D' in the first semi-final of the Cup Championship at 1.18 p.m. on the second day which will be followed by the second semi-final between the winner of pool 'B' and pool 'C' at 1.40 p.m. while the final of the Cup Championship is scheduled for 6 p.m. on October 5.

The Sri Lanka Sevens squad led by Kandy SC centre Pradeep Liyanage have been training hard under the watchful eyes of the two national coaches South Africans Dawie Snyman and Norman Laker and the final squad of 12 will be picked next week.

Three outstanding schoolboy ruggerites - Isipathana's Sajith Saranga and Dinusha Chathuranga and Peterite skipper Poornaka Delpechitra have been included in the 14-member Sri Lanka squad.

The Sri Lanka Sevens rugby pool: Pradeep Liyanage and Saliya Kumara (both from Kandy SC), Amjad Buksh, Ashen Karthelis, Lasintha de Costa, Ashan de Costa, Mohamed Sheriff (all from CR and FC), Wasim Thajudeen and Shero Fernando (Havelocks), Dilanka Wijesekera (CH and FC), Chula Susantha (Police), Dinusha Chathuranga and Sajith Saranga (both from Isipathana), Poornaka Delpechitra (St. Peter's).