Lanka Sevens rugby team has a good chance of entering the semi-finals

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The Sri Lanka Sevens Rugby team has a good chance of entering the semi-finals of the Asian qualifier of the World Cup Rugby Sevens in Hong Kong on October 4 and 5, 2008 if they beat both India and host nation Hong Kong in their pool 'C' matches.

The Sri Lankan Sevens team led by Pradeep Liyanage will confront India in their first match and then take on Hong Kong on the first day and if they win both games they are likely to take on the mighty Koreans who are likely to head Group 'B' by overcoming Chinese Taipei and Singapore.

With seasoned campaigner Dilanka Wijesekera passing a fitness test the Sri Lankans will field an experienced side with players of the calibre of skipper Liyanage, Saliya Kumara, Ashen Karthelis, Mohamed Sheriff, Amjad Buksh, Wijesekera and Wasim Thajudeen likely to give of their best.

The Sri Lankans fared well on the first day of the Singer-Sri Lankan Sevens in Kandy by winning all their group matches but were knocked out in the semi-finals by the Koreans. The squad includes only six players who took part in the Hong Kong Sevens in March - Skipper Pradeep Liyanage, Saliya Kumara, Amjad Buksh, Ashan de Costa, Ashen Karthelis and Wasim Thajudeen.

The Sri Lanka squad includes two schoolboys - Isipatanians Sajith Saranga and Dinusha Chathuranga - the first time two schoolboys from the same school will be representing the Sri Lanka Sevens team. Earlier three other schoolboys from Isipatana represented the Sri Lanka Sevens squad - Hisham Abdeen (1980 Hong Kong Sevens), Champika Nishantha (1992 Hong Kong Sevens) and Ashan de Costa (2006 Asian Games in Doha).

The Sri Lnaka Sevens squad:

Pradeep Liyanage (Captain, Kandy SC), Saliya Kumara (Kandy SC), Amjad Buksh, Ashan de Costa, Lasintha de Costa, Ashen Karthelis, Mohamed Sheriff (all from CR and FC), Dilanka Wijesekera (CH and FC), Chula Susantha (Police), Wasim Thajudeen (Havelocks), Dinusha Chathuranga and Sajith Saranga (both from Isipatana).

Stand-byes: Sharo Fernando (Havelocks), Poornaka Delpechitra (St. Peter's).