Sports
Sri Lanka reaps rewards for banking on homegrown rugby coaches
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Sri Lanka finished its participation at the Asia Rugby Men’s Division 1 tournament with flying colours, but there are concerns whether the islanders can hold on to this momentum they created in this four-nation tournament.
The concerns are whether the island’s players chosen to perform national duty can think of a national level commitment in the months and weeks to come. All these players are owned by clubs and whether they’ll be released for a national level training programme is a dicey question to be answered from an administrator’s point of view. Also Sri Lanka cannot conveniently return to club rugby and forget national rugby when there is a ready-made invitation for them to join the best four Asian nations in the world and contest the Asia Men’s Rugby Championship next season.
Anyway, the three coaches Sanath Martis, Nilfer Ibrahim and Dushanth Lewke are full time rugby coaches and are working closely with the players from both schools and clubs. They eat, drink and sleep rugby; hence there is no surprise if Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) continues with this three-man combination when the time comes again to prepare the national team for future international assignments. The fact that this writer wishes to underscore is that Sri Lanka proved to the ‘Asia rugby world’ that the islanders have enough home-grown talent when it comes to selecting a coaching panel and also players for international tournaments and don’t have to rely on ‘foreigners’.
But going alone is difficult. Outside influence is essential. If Sri Lanka doesn’t want to capitalize on the ‘foreigners’ eligibility to represent another nation facility’ then the SLR must think of giving our players more exposure at international rugby events. Just a few days ago in Singapore-just after the conclusion of the HSBC ‘Singapore Sevens’- the rugby unions of Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding to be engaged in a 15-a-side rugby tournament (For the Unions Cup) to promote the long version of rugby union. Sri Lanka must also think of doing the same with teams like Pakistan, India and also by roping in any other Asian nation team which might want to complete the line-up and gain some mileage in the sport. As for all the Asian rugby teams, exposure is one key factor which will aid in their future journeys in rugby.
If we just take a peep into the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship (featuring the best four teams of Asia like Hong Kong China, Malaysia, South Korea and United Arab Emirates) Hong Kong China is the hot favourite to win this year’s series set to be held in Hong Kong from June 1-24. For the record Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR)-the governing body for rugby in Hong Kong China-has drawn up a ten-year strategic plan to develop its rugby and be counted in the rugby world. HKCR has also earmarked a South American tour for its players which will feature a match against Chile and another opponent. This is food for thought for Sri Lanka Rugby.
The three coaches who formed the coaching panel for Sri Lanka comprised (from
left) Dushanth Lewke, Sanath Martis and Nilfer Ibrahim (Picture courtesy SLR)
Sri Lankans are cock-a-hoop now having won the Asia Rugby Division 1. And even before the Sports Minister of the country could promise any reward, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has come forward to boost rugby at home with a ‘gift’ of US$ 30,000 in appreciation of the recent accomplishment in rugby. All these happenings also bring along hope for some change in the way of thinking in the higher echelons of rugby in Sri Lanka. Now the SLR must keep Sri Lanka’s national rugby in the news and not brag about getting sponsors and running a club rugby tournament. Sri Lanka moved three places up to a World ranking of 41 in 15a-side rugby. And Sri Lanka must hold on to this place in international rugby at any cost. There are critics who have already aired the view that the three coaches must be looked after and honoured for their contributions made towards this recent national rugby achievement. If someone asks Martis whether he is ‘Sri Lanka coach’ or ‘National coach’ I am sure the great man would be lost for an answer. In reality he is Sri Lanka coach; a one-off appointment as the person in charge of the national team for this single tournament and he is technically released of his responsibilities now. But if the SLR signs a long-term agreement with him to be in charge of the national team then he would be tied down with the players and forced to draw up plans to keep the players’ focus on the international rugby scene and overseas tournaments. What would happen to his present role as a school cum club coach then and all the earning opportunities he enjoys? The same can be said about Lewke and Ibrahim.
No rugby picture is complete if proper homework is not done. In terms of looking at the entire Asian segment and where it places itself in the world rugby scene, we must check the movements of Japan. The ‘Cherry Blossoms’ is the big brother when it comes to rugby in Asia, but this nation has now moved to a different segment of the game; which is the World Cup ‘Pacific Challenge’. Japan won this tournament recently which featured teams like Manuma Samoa, Tonga ‘A’ and Fiji ‘Warriors’. This tournament featured predominantly under 23 players in keeping with WR regulations.
Coming back to the tournament held in Colombo at the Race Course, the rugby event attracted 20,000 spectators. The grandstand was packed to capacity and rugby fans at home saw a display of rugby by the national team which pulled at their heartstrings. As for rugby in Sri Lanka the crowds are back. There is interest again in national rugby. And it’s the responsibility of the entire rugby fraternity to keep the ‘Lion flag’ flying in the sport of rugby union. To top it all up- like putting a cherry on a cake- the Asian Rugby Tournament that Sri Lanka hosted was termed a ‘Green Event’ with a tree planted for each try that was scored in the tournament. Suddenly all eyes are on the Sri Lanka rugby team and it’s a nice feeling to wait till this applause fades away before the ‘players’ can think of work again.
Two people taking part in Australia’s annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race have died in separate incidents, according to police.
Both crew members died in separate incidents after being hit by a boom – the large pole attached horizontally to the bottom of a sail.
The event’s organisers said the incidents happened on the Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline.
The first boats are expected to arrive in the city of Hobart, in Tasmania, later on Friday or early on Saturday. Several have already retired due to bad weather.
New South Wales (NSW) police said the first incident was reported to officers just before midnight on Thursday local time (12:50 GMT) by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in the country’s capital, Canberra.
Just over two hours later, at 02:15 on Friday, NSW police were told that crew aboard the second boat were giving CPR to the second person, which also had not worked.
Flying Fish Arctos had been sailing approximately 30 nautical miles east/south-east of the NSW town of Ulladulla, the organisers said.
Bowline, meanwhile, was approximately 30 nautical miles east/north-east of the town of Batemans Bay, also in NSW.
“Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased,” the organisers said in a statement.
“The Sydney to Hobart is an Australian tradition, and it is heart-breaking that two lives have been lost at what should be a time of joy,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The race, which began on Thursday, has continued.
It is not the first time there have been fatalities during the race, which was first held in 1945.
Six people, including British Olympic yachtsman Glyn Charles, died in 1998 after raging storms hit competitors.
[BBC]
Deepti Sharma turned in a superb all-round performance to help India seal the ODI series 3-0 in Vadodara. She first took 6 for 31 as West Indies folded for 162. Then with India in choppy waters, Deepti provided a calming influence with an unbeaten 39 to the team home by five wickets.
While Deepti dug in for the hard grind, aided with luck when she was dropped by Hayley Matthews at slip on 21, Richa Ghosh lent the finishing touches. Having walked in to bat with India 129 for 5, Ghosh allayed fears of a collapse by hitting one four and three sixes in her brisk 11-ball 23. This included back-to-back sixes off legspinner Afy Fletcher to see off India’s chase.
Under leaden skies, and on a surface that got progressively tougher to bat on with the odd ball keeping low and turning big, West Indies were left to rue another poor batting performance. Barring Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbelle, who put together 91 for the fourth wicket, there was little else of note from the batting unit.
The collapse began in the very first over when Renuka Singh removed Qiana Joseph, with a faint tickle down leg, and the in-form Matthews with a superb in-ducker four balls later. When Deandra Dottin was bowled attempting a hack into the leg side to Renuka, the visitors were 9 for 3 in the fifth over. Renuka with finish with a four-for eventually, coming back later to clean up the lower order amid the Deepti show.
Under the shadow of a collapse, Henry, playing her first ODI of the series, rebuilt the innings. She struggled to get bat to ball early on, pottering to 3 off 17. Then from nowhere, she brought out a release shot for six off debutant left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar to get going.
During the course of her third half-century, Henry played some neat little cuts and glides. At the other end, Campbelle showed positivity against spin. She took the attack early to legspinner Priya Mishra, hitting her for three boundaries in her second over. After using her feet to launch into two stunning drives – one down the ground and the other through cover – she rocked back to pull Mishra for a third as she dropped short.
This 91-run stand for the fourth wicket appeared to have revived the visitors as much as it frustrated India. This is when Deepti came into the game and made a telling contribution.
Campbell was consumed by a rush of blood as she was lulled into the big shot by Deepti, only for Pratika Rawal to take a comfortable catch at long-on. In the following over, Zaida James was caught superbly at slip by Harmanpreet as Deepti had her driving from the rough.
It could’ve been a triple-strike for India but for Renuka dropping the simplest of return catches via a leading edge to reprieve Aaliya Alleyne on 0. Alleyne would make only 21, though, falling to a tame chip to short midwicket. Alleyne’s wicket came hot on the heels of Henry’s dismissal for a third ODI half-century when she was out bowled by a straighter one. West Indies went on to lose their last 5 wickets for 21.
India’s reply began in nervous fashion as they lost Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol early in the power play against the moving ball. Pratika Rawal too missed out on a great opportunity to build on a solid foundation from her first two ODIs when she holed out to mid-on in an attempt to hit out against Matthews’ offspin.
India captain Harmanpreet then picked the pieces up and put together a fantastic exhibition of cover driving. Having begun with two fours off her first five deliveries, she went on to pierce a packed off-side ring to hit Dottin for three fours in the ninth over to quickly take to 23 off 13.
Harmanpreet looked in rip-roaring form when she played back to be bowled by a skidder from Afy Fletcher. The wicket briefly galvanised the visitors, but India weren’t to be denied as Deepti, Jemimah Rodrigues and Ghosh all played neat hands to see them home.
Brief scores:
India Women 167 for 5 in 28.2 overs (Deepti Sharma 39*, Harmanpreet Kaur 32, Jemmimah Rodrigues 29, Richa Ghosh 23*) beat West Indies Women 162 in 38.5 overs (Chinnel Henry 61, Shemaine Campbelle 46, Aaliyah /alleine 21; Deepti Sharma 6-31, Renuka Singh 4-29) by five wickets
[Cricinfo]
Australia kept their vice-like grip around the MCG Test despite a fighting effort from Yashasvi Jaiswal as India went to stumps at 164 for 5, trailing the hosts by 310 runs. Scott Boland and Pat Cummins made that possible after Steve Smith scored his 11th Test century against India – the most by any batter against this opposition in the format.
Jaiswal shrugged off his four ordinary outings in Adelaide and Brisbane to get stuck into the Australian bowlers on Day 2 to carve out a fine essay. He was proactive with his feet movement against the pacers and negotiated Nathan Lyon with a lot of comfort in favourable batting conditions. He went after Mitchell Marsh too, setting himself up for a three-figure score. Kohli did well to buckle down and offer judgment to balls on the fifth stump channel as the Aussie quicks repeatedly tempted him to play at it with a populated slip cordon on their toes. Kohli, who was seen simulating this situation with Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna in the nets on the eve of the game, successfully let balls go. With edges not carrying either, the pacers bowled straighter at him that allowed Kohli to get his innings going with flicks and pulls.
But in the final hour of the day, a few minutes of indecisiveness saw both the batters back in the dressing room. First, Jaiswal fell for 82 to a run out after driving one to mid-on and dashing off for a single. Kohli wasn’t keen and stood his ground, leading to Jaiswal’s dismissal. Seven balls later, Kohli bit the bullet and edged a ball from Scott Boland – the kind he’d let go for majority of the session – to depart for 36. Boland dug his heels in further, dismissing nightwatchman Akash Deep and leaving India five down.
The home side’s advantage at the close of play on the second day was built on Steve Smith’s outstanding century in the morning. Smith overcame a mini-battle against Jasprit Bumrah and took runs off Deep at the other end to extend his team’s dominance that was well-established by the top-order on the opening day. Smith had several false shots against Deep but none came with the doom of his dismissal for him. He further rubbed it in by picking runs easily as Deep conceded 30 in his five-over spell. The change bowlers couldn’t stop the runs either as Siraj endured a forgettable outing with figures of 0 for 122 in 23 overs.
Smith and Cummins added quick runs in the first hour before Jadeja ended the Australian captain’s stay on 49. Smith however, got to his 34th Test hundred, fifth at the MCG, and shifted gears after to take on both Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Mitchell Starc didn’t hold back either, even hitting Jasprit Bumrah for a six towards the end of the session. The Lunch break came as respite for a misfiring India, who then struck early in the second session. Jadeja cleaned up Starc and Deep removed Smith with some luck – the centurion danced down for a big shot through the off-side, but the ball ricocheted off his leg and rolled on to dislodge one bail as he watched on. Bumrah wrapped up the innings soon but India’s riposte was once again found wanting.
Rohit Sharma opened the innings again but was swiftly sent back by his opposite number when he tried and failed to play a pull shot off a ball that wasn’t quite short. KL Rahul and Jaiswal started to build a stand but Cummins put the lid on that with an incredible ball that straightened off a length, squaring up and cleaning up Rahul at the stroke of Tea.
The difference between a fighting response and an underwhelming one for India was the health of the Kohli-Jaiswal stand, which promised to lead the way before being broken against the run of play. India lost three wickets for the addition of just six runs in this period, letting Australia maintain complete control of the game.
Brief scores:
India 164/5 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 82; Pat Cummins 2-57, Scott Boland 2-24) trail Australia 474 (Steve Smith 140, Marnus Labuschagne 72; Jasprit Bumrah 4-99) by 310 runs
[Cricbuzz]
Two die in Sydney to Hobart yacht race
Deepti’s all-round heroics hand India series sweep
Australia maintain full control despite Jaiswal’s 82
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