Sports
Dialog School’s Development 7s 2022
Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata has partnered with Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) to conduct a first ever Under 14 development 7s tourney to expand the sport and attract talent from schools other than the traditional rugby playing schools.
The Dialog Schools Development 7s 2022 tourney with the participation of 40, U-14 school teams from six provinces will kick-off today at the Ruwanwella Rugby Grounds and on the 13 March at the Pallekelle Rugby Grounds, from 8.30 am onwards.
The game of rugby is heavily played and followed in Colombo and Kandy, however the lack of facilities and coaching staff has prevented the game from reaching the rural peripheries of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association stated that conducting development tourneys are critical to assess the skill level and fitness of rural school teams and to provide the necessary training and development so that the sport will grow in those respective provinces.
The Dialog Schools Development 7s 2022 tourney will be played in accordance with the safety guidelines administered by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education. The players will be in a bio secure environment, overseen by their respective schools, with rapid antigen tests to be conducted at regular intervals.
The U-14 school teams that have confirmed their participation for the tournament from the Western Province are, St. Joeseph’s College Kollonnawa, Defense Service College Colombo, Kulasingha MahaVidyalaya, Omalpe Maha Vidyalaya,
Jayawardhanapura Maha Vidyalaya. Schools in the Sabaragamuwa Province include, Kularathna Central College, Swarna Jayanthi Maha Vidyalaya, Bibilegama Maha Vidyalaya, Dorpana Maha Vidyalaya, Wimalasara Vidyalaya, Godawela Vidyalaya, Kiriporuwa Vidyalaya and Schools from Southern Province include Siridhamma College, Saralankara College, Udugama National School, Sri Siddhartha Maha Vidyalaya.
“Much of Sri Lanka’s rugby talent is lost due to rural schools not actively playing the game, especially in the 7s format where its physically less demanding than the league format,” B.A. Abeyratne, President, SLSRFA said. “The 7s game is all about speed and the rural schools in Sri Lanka have a tradition of producing international level track and field athletes that have performed exceptionally at the Asian games and world championships, hence we want to identify and tap into that talent.” “A tournament of this magnitude will not be possible if not for the corporate backing of our sponsors Dialog Axiata and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for powering school’s rugby in Sri Lanka,” Abeyratne further added.
With just one round left in the group stage, Dambulla hit the top of the National Super League (NSL) table like a runaway train, pulling off a breathtaking run chase that left Kandy shell-shocked at the R. Premadasa Stadium. In a high-octane encounter that had lot of twists, Dambulla played out of their skins to snatch victory from the jaws of what looked like certain defeat.
Chasing a towering 392 in just 69 overs, the Dambulla batters threw caution to the wind and came out swinging. They crossed the finish line with 25 balls to spare, making the improbable seem routine.
At the top of the order, Nishan Madushka dropped anchor and played the sheet anchor role to perfection, compiling a masterful 126 off 153 balls. He stitched together a solid 136-run opening stand with Ron Chandraguptha, who chipped in with a stylish 64, laying the perfect foundation for the fireworks to follow.
But the real show-stopper was none other than Dasun Shanaka. Despite being courted by a slew of T20 leagues flashing big bucks, Shanaka stayed loyal to red-ball cricket — and he makes it count. He walked in with the scoreboard ticking and turned the game on its head with a whirlwind century off just 56 deliveries. It was a blitzkrieg that featured nine sizzling boundaries and six towering sixes. When Shanaka’s in the zone, bowlers might as well be bowling with a bar of soap.
From 286 for 1, Dambulla had a minor hiccup, losing quick wickets and stumbling to 326 for 5. But the damage had been done — Shanaka’s thunderous assault had knocked the stuffing out of the Kandy attack. All that remained was for the tail to wag, nudge a few singles, and coast home with room to spare.
Akila Dananjaya, meanwhile, continued to turn heads with a match bag of ten wickets. But while his performance was eye-catching, any talk of a national recall should come with a pinch of salt — his action, having been under the microscope before, will need a clean bill of health before selectors roll the dice.
Down south in Hambantota, Galle all but booked their ticket to the final, thanks to a first-innings win over Jaffna. Unless they somehow manage to shoot themselves in the foot in their last group game, they should be packing their bags for the final.
Ramesh Mendis played the unlikely hero, batting at number eight and top-scoring with a gutsy 124 to take Galle to 374, well past Jaffna’s 305.
Jaffna’s response in the second innings was spirited, with Angelo Mathews rolling back the years and crafting a classy century as they made 354 for five.
Rain played spoil sport with only 6.4 overs possible on day one and a further 55 overs on day two and that left little room for a result.
North Korea has held the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, welcoming some 200 foreign runners to the streets of the reclusive country’s capital.
The marathon, which was launched in 1981, took place annually in April to celebrate the birth of its founding leader Kim Il Sung.
Before Sunday’s marathon, the race was last held in 2019, wherein 950 foreigners participated. North Korea sealed itself off the following year, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
North Korea has been slow to reopen since, allowing only Russian tourists into its capital since last year.
Runners have had to enter the country as part of an organised tour group, as was the case before the pandemic.
Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency listed as an “exclusive partner” on the event website, offers six-day marathon tours at 2,195 euros ($2,406) including flights to and from Beijing.
“The Pyongyang Marathon is an extremely unique experience as it provides an opportunity to interact with locals,” the agency wrote on its website.
Sunday’s marathon route took participants past landmarks across the city, including the Kim Il Sung stadium, the Arch of Triumph built to commemorate Kim Il Sung’s role in resisting Japanese rule, and the Mirae Future Scientists’ Street said to be a residential district for scientists and engineers.
Pictures online show the stadium – where runners start and finish their race – filled with spectators, many of them cheering and waving gold-coloured paper flags.
Pak Kum Dong, a North Korean runner, told Reuters news agency: “The eyes of our people on me helped me to bear the difficulties whenever I feel tired.”
There is no publicly available information on race results.
North Korea had only statred to scale back Covid-19 restrictions in the middle of 2023.
In Feburary, it allowed some Western tourists into the remote, eastern city Rason, but suspended those tours just weeks after.
[BBC]
Noor Ahmad, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm wristspinner, continues to head the Purple Cap table with ten wickets from four games. His spell of 4 for 18 in CSK’s first game against MI, remains his best so far.
DC’s Mitchell Starc who picked up his maiden five-for in T20s, against SRH remains second on the list with nine wickets in three games.
GT’s Mohammed Siraj equalled Starc’s tally on Sunday night with his own IPL best, albeit he has played four games to Starc’s three. Siraj picked up 4 for 17 against SRH to hand them their four successive loss, and was named the Player of the Match.
Breakaway JVP faction decries Indo-Lanka MoUs as betrayal
Adani’s Colombo Terminal commences operations
SLIC Life reports robust performance with Rs. 30.7 Billion PBT in 2024
-
Business1 day agoColombo Coffee wins coveted management awards
-
Features2 days agoStarlink in the Global South
-
Business3 days agoDaraz Sri Lanka ushers in the New Year with 4.4 Avurudu Wasi Pro Max – Sri Lanka’s biggest online Avurudu sale
-
Business4 days agoStrengthening SDG integration into provincial planning and development process
-
Business3 days agoNew SL Sovereign Bonds win foreign investor confidence
-
Sports5 days agoTo play or not to play is Richmond’s decision
-
Features2 days agoModi’s Sri Lanka Sojourn
-
Sports4 days agoNew Zealand under 85kg rugby team set for historic tour of Sri Lanka