By A Special Sports Correspondent

Colombo Hockey & Football Club (CH&FC) is making a massive effort to finish among the top four teams in the on-going inter-club league rugby tournament. CH&FC skipper Prasath Madusanka is spearheading that effort despite the Maitland Crescent Club not allowing space at the club’s ground for rugby practices. The club’s ground is exclusively used for cricket and hockey only at present. However, the club’s players receive all the other backing from the club to pursue rugby; the officials of the club are hiring out Race Course grounds for regular practices at a cost. Despite the challenges staring in their faces the CH&FC players are training hard to finish high on the points table after the conclusion of the second round.

As much as Madusanka focuses on his game he has an eye on the youngsters who have joined the club after having had promising school rugby seasons. “We are now forced to play with school leavers and even play them in the starting line-up. That’s a huge opportunity for them,” said Madusanka. He added that the seniors have a responsibility towards shaping the rugby futures of young talent before the former hang up their boots.

Madusanka, who plays hooker, said that he was happy with the contributions made by the new recruits. But he said that club rugby teaches many lessons and the ‘young blood’ must be receptive to them. “Sometimes I get dazed for a few seconds just after breaking up from a scrum. That’s how hard and brutal club rugby is at present,” explained Madusanka who is at present easily the best hooker in the country. He has held on to his place in the club and national side, the latter since making his debut in the Asian Five Nations in 2015.

The year 2015 was one of his finest; he has memories of being picked as the highest try scorer in the league rugby season. He played for Havelocks Sports Club that season.

He couldn’t refuse a tempting offer CH&FC made to him when he was at Havelocks. Madusanka looks back at that past and said that he switches clubs due to better benefits offered by the Gymkhana Club (CH&FC). He reminisced how the crossover was initiated by CH&FC player Rohitha Rajapakse.

However Madusanka warns that it’s increasingly hard for rugby players who are gainfully employed to at private companies to continue playing serious rugby. This he said is because private companies demand so much at work from employees who are also committed rugby players. According to him so many talented rugby players have already left the country in search of employment. It’s in this backdrop that Madusanka reminded this writer that CH&FC is one club that continued to pay half of the players’ salaries during the covid pandemic and the following financial crisis during which period there was no rugby.

When he looks back at the journey, he has made in club rugby he cherishes making one correct decision. “The importance of managing my office work with the same enthusiasm I show for rugby was drilled into my mind by Milanga Chandiram and I’m ever so grateful to him for guiding me,” said Madusanka who works as a Senior Marketing Executive at Sri Lankan Insurance. He has served this company for 11 long years. He recalled how helpful rugby contacts have been in bringing business to his company.

As much as he cherishes the moments he plays for CH&FC Madusanka loves the time he spends with the national team and represents the country at international tournaments. His first overseas tournament with the national team was in 2015 for the Asian Five Nations where Sri Lanka finished as runners-up. He said that his dream is to be a member of the national team that wins this tournament in the future.

He has trained hard to cement his place in the national side. He remembers taking over as hooker from Achala Perera and Dulanjana. Rugby critics have said that he is one of the most potential try scorers for any team he represents when attacking the goal line from 10 metres out. These are some of his thoughts on playing in the pivotal position of hooker. “You have to be very experienced and so accustomed to playing in this position before start really contributing to the game and the team. And the good thing is that hookers have a longer spanning rugby career compared to those playing in other positions. But hookers have also have some much to do in the set pieces,” said Madusanka. He said that with age and experience he has taught himself to have the same satisfaction as the try scorer if he feeds that try with any kind of help.

Another important factor in this sportsman’s career is that he has a supportive wife and two loving kids. His wife Kithma Chamodi has gifted him with two lovely sons, Yewen (6) and Yehan (1). Yewen who schools at Isipathana College has already taken to rugby and represents the school’s under 10 team in tag rugby tournaments. He is probably the youngest kid out their playing under 10 tag rugby at age 6!

Now aged 30 Madusanka sees the challenges ahead of rugby. According to him the popularity of all sports has taken a dip and it’s of concern for him. “Right now rugby is second to cricket in this island in the popularity ratings. But I don’t for how long that will last. The spectator interest for rugby is also thinning and this could be due to the high prices of tickets at club rugby matches. CH&FC not charging a gate at matches they host at Race Course must be lauded at a time like this,” concluded Madusanka