Sports
Jaffna Stallions highly impressive in LPL
Jaffna Stallions’ CEO Ananthan Arnold (middle) in conversation with the team’s overseas signing Shoaib Malik. COO Paven Savuntharasa is also in the picture.
by Rex Clementine
With most cricket playing nations initiating a franchise based tournament in their calendar, Sri Lankan cricket was left stranded for years not being able to start something of their own. However, with the launch of Lanka Premier League, there was a shot in the arm. Interest for franchise ownerships were mostly shown by Indian and Pakistani business entities. Jaffna Stallions’ ownership though is different.
Anandan Arnold, who played cricket for St. John’s, Jaffna is the founder CEO of Jaffna Stallions and leading investor. Canadian born Rahul Sood, who now lives in Seattle is a major co-owner in the consortium which also consists of Sri Lankan expatriates living in the UK, Canada, Australia and Europe. The owners are multi-ethnic, multi-faith Sri Lankans of diverse backgrounds.
Jaffna Stallions are also the most organized franchise in the competition. While most franchises were putting through the logistics in the 11th hour, according to Thisara Perera, the captain of the team, all his players were taken to Kandy for a five-day residential training camp. While no doubt the training camp helped develop skills it also enabled the team to bond well.
The franchise has a formidable outfit. Their fast bowlers – Suranga Lakmal, Duanne Olivier, Kyle Abbott and Usman Shinwari are good enough to form the nucleus of any international side.
But the franchise has not forgotten the development of young talent as well and hence they have picked a few uncapped players – from north and south – Sebastianpillai Vijeyaraj, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Kanagarathinam Kabilraj, Theivendram Dinoshan and Nuwanidu Fernando.
Among the four youngsters Viyaskanth had an impressive debut last week but there is another exciting talent in Vijeyaraj, who bowls like Lasith Malinga. He has been nicknamed ‘Killinochchi Express.’
Viyaskanth was the talk of the town as he debuted last week. His line and length were impeccable and the leg-spinner foxed Angelo Mathews of all players. His efforts came in for high praise from all and sundry – both team mates and opposition.
The Stallions are the in form side in the competition as they recorded four straight wins while the others were playing catch up. For the fifth game, with a slot in the semi-final certain, the team rested four of their front line players and gave a break to some others. If they continue to rotate players, that will be a good idea as well as when the business end of the tournament comes along, the leading players will be fresh and raring to go.
The team’s motto is to be a cricket club that provides a pathway to excellence for local and national athletes. They have made huge strides in the LPL and don’t be surprised if they win the maiden title for they say, ‘well begun is half done.’
The Track and Field season commenced with some of the best athletes in the senior and Under 20 age categories producing notable performances during the two-day Junior and Senior Selection Trial concluded at Diyagama on Tuesday. Here are some action pictures from the day two of the event.
(Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
by Reemus Fernando
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana gave athletics fans both joy and heartache on an otherwise remarkable day as the Junior and Senior Track and Field trials concluded with a number of athletes achieving their personal bests at Diyagama yesterday.
Athletics analysts were waiting for Dharshana to reach his personal best in the men’s 400 metres final after the Army athlete produced the best performance in the heats where as many as five athletes clocked sub 47 seconds. When Dharshana followed up his 200 metres winning time of 21.12 seconds with a feat of 46.43 seconds in the 400 metres many expected him to produce a sub 46 seconds performance in the final.
But the shocking foul start meant that he will have to wait for more than a month to test his true potential. Incidentally, Kalinga Kumarage, who was off-colour in the heats (47.51 secs – second in heat 3) won the final with a feat of 46.27 seconds. However, 100 metres sprinter Medhani Jayamanne who was disqualified for a foul start in the women’s 100 metres heats was not so unlucky, as athletics officials gave her an opportunity to compete in the women’s 100 metres final, though her place was (2nd) not recognised. She clocked 12.16 seconds in the final.
Chamod Yodasinghe reached his personal best to win the men’s 100 metres.
In Dharshana’s absence four others, namely, Kumarage, R.N. Rajakaruna, Dinuka Deshan and Pabasara Niku clocked sub 47 seconds.
In the corresponding women’s 400 metres, schoolgirl Tharushi Karunaratne continued to shock her senior counterparts. Having won the women’s 800 metres on day one, the Ratnayake Central prodigy also bagged the 400 metres victory as she clocked 53.41 seconds to beat Asian Championship participant Nadeesha Ramanayake.
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- Aruna Dharshana, who produced the fastest time in the heats was disqualified in the final for a foul start. Dharshana is disappointed after official Rohan Stanley showed him the red card. (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
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- Rumeshika Ratnayake won the women’s 100 metres.
In the men’s 100 metres Chamod Yodasinghe reached his personal best as he clocked 10.37 seconds to win the final.
In the women’s 100 metres final, Rumeshika Ratnayake clocked 12.01 seconds to win running against the wind (-2.9). In the heats, she clocked sub 12 seconds.
In the morning, Gayanthika Abeyratne finished the women’s 1500 metres just three seconds shy of her national record mark as she clocked 4:12.53 seconds to win closely followed by steeplechase national record holder Nilani Ratnayake. Abeyratne’s national record established last year stands at 4:09.12 seconds.
In the Under 20 age category events Malith Yasiru produced the second-best performance of the Asian region in the Under 20 boys’ triple jump this year when he cleared a distance of 15.43 metres to win the event.
The Sri Lankan national team of two sailors and one windsurfer, with the Navy team of a sailor and a windsurfer, were invited to participate at the first Chief of Navy Staff International Sailing Regatta 2023 held from March 14 to 20 in Karachi, Pakistan. Twelve countries including Australia, Bahrain, Croatia, Egypt, China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey had sent their teams to Karachi. The Sri Lankan national team consisted of Laser Standard sailor (ILCA 7) NGMU Ghanawardene, Sri Lanka Navy, Priyantha Gunawardene, Sri Lanka Navy participating in the Windsurfing RSX Class and Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4) sailor Tharen Nanayakkara. The Navy team consisted of Laser Standard sailor (ILCA 7) JMPL Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Navy and WAS Weeratunge, Sri Lanka Navy participating in the Windsurfing RSX Class.
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