Sports
Sri Lanka looks to redeem lost prestige in rugby final against Kazakhstan
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Sri Lanka has a golden opportunity to work its way up in the international rugby scene when it clashes with Kazakhstan in the cup championship of the Asia rugby men’s division 1 tournament in Colombo on Saturday (May 4).
Sri Lanka has already sounded a warning to all teams at the tournament with a smashing 45-10 win over India in a game where the host team dictated terms to the opponents during the major portion of the encounter. Sri Lankans were very clinical in this game and chose the easiest method to finish off this challenge. The host team played wide using the entire width and breadth of the ground; which meant they were not going to risk their players in unwanted contact rugby.
If the latter option was taken it would have only amounted to massaging the egos of players and losing focus on the final which, according to the tournament draw, was offering the Sri Lankans a heavy physical contact game. Sri Lanka’s opponent on Saturday, Kazakhstan, is a dangerous opposition and prefers a heavy forwards battle up front. Sri Lanka is rated 44th in world 15-a- side rugby while Kazakhstan is rated 64th. The winner of the Cup Championship will be elevated to the Asia Men’s Rugby Championship next year; a tournament that features only the best four teams in Asia.
It is likely that Sri Lanka will start with seasoned players like Dushmantha Priyadarshana and hooker Azmir Fajudeen in the front row and play Hirantha Perera and Hirusha Nethmina early in the game, as back division players, to rattle the opponents. All these players came in as substitutes in the game against India where the host team raked in seven tries out of which five were converted.
Much is expected of back division players like Tharinda Ratwatte, Sudaraka Dikkumbura and fly half Thenuka Nananyakkara who gave the Indians a torrid time by putting their fleet footedness to good use. It is also interesting to see whether the Sri Lankan coaching staff sticks with hooker Pulasthi Dissanayake (who had two touch downs in the semi-final match) or will opt to start with the powerfully built and intelligent front row player Fajudeen instead.
Though Sri Lanka played well in terms of running the ball at every given opportunity the side also showed severe potential in the scrums, line outs and driving forward when the players grouped in a maul formation. The last time Sri Lanka featured in a Men’s Division 1 tournament was in 2019 where they won the third place play off beating Chinese Taipei 72-17.
Qatar, which team many thought was unlucky to lose the game against Kazakhstan, gets a golden opportunity to stay in contention for a podium finish when it features with the other losing semi finalist, India, in the third place play off. Qatar lost a close contest against Kazakhstan and the difference between the two sides was a single try. The winner in that game Kazakhstan scored five tries against four by Qatar.
The teams:
Sri Lanka from: D. Priyadharshana, F. Abdullah, S. Fernando, N. Maduranga, K. Costa, H. Perera, H. Nethmina, J. Fernando, P. Dissanayake, C. Silva, S. Anthony (Captain), R. De Silva, A. Weerathunga, T. Chathuranga, L. karunathilake, H.Jansen, T.Nanayakkara, S. Dikkumbura, T. Ratwatte, A. Madusanka, D. Ekanayake.
Kazakhstan from: A. Gadaborshev, A. Imam, G. Litinov, T. Maksimenko, T. Timoshin, N. Ivanov, O. Tursunbek, M. Magomedov ( Captain), A. Lukmanov, D. Akymbakov, A. Lymar, M. Petukhov, A. Nazhibayev, A. Belashov, D. Sumskiy, D. Kazibekov, R. Shipitsin, Y. Khromov, J. Muradov, A. Suerer
Six-a-side school cricket is set to make a high-profile return to Moratuwa when the Old Boys’ Association of Prince of Wales’ College stages the Prince of Wales’ College 150th Anniversary Inter-School Sixes Cricket Tournament on August 29 and 30 at the De Soysa Stadium.
The two-day tournament is one of the major sporting attractions of the College’s historic 150th anniversary celebrations and
will bring together 16 leading school cricket teams for a knockout competition.
The tournament is aimed at reviving the excitement of six-a-side cricket, a format renowned for its fast pace and spectator-friendly nature, which has not featured regularly in major inter-school competitions in recent years.
The Old Boys’ Association believes the 150th anniversary provides the ideal opportunity to bring the format back to the forefront while celebrating Moratuwa’s deep-rooted passion for cricket.
Cricket has long held a special place in the hearts of Moratuwa’s residents, while Prince of Wales’ College boasts a proud cricketing tradition that has produced several outstanding players who have gone on to represent Sri Lanka at the highest level.
The organizers expect more than 5,000 cricket enthusiasts from Moratuwa and surrounding areas to witness the tournament over the two days, turning the event into a major festival of school cricket.
The opening ceremony on August 29 is scheduled to be attended by Kusal Mendis, one of the leading cricketers produced by Prince of Wales’ College and a member of the Sri Lankan national team.
The tournament will feature 16 schools, including Royal College Colombo, St. Joseph’s College Darley Road, Thurstan College Colombo, S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa, Moratu Maha Vidyalaya, D.S. Senanayake College Colombo, Sri Sumangala College Panadura, Richmond College Galle, Mahanama College Colombo, St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya, Wesley College Colombo, Ananda College Colombo and Mahanama College Panadura.
With the competition being played on a knockout basis, the compact format is expected to produce plenty of attacking cricket and give emerging players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a large crowd.
Apart from the competitive aspect, the tournament is also intended to promote sportsmanship, friendship and fellowship among the participating schools.
The tournament will conclude on August 30 with a ceremonial awards presentation, with the participation of Eran Wickramaratne, distinguished invitees, representatives of participating schools, past pupils and members of the cricketing community.
The Old Boys’ Association has also expressed its appreciation to the corporate sector and event sponsors whose support has helped make the tournament possible.
Their contribution, according to the organizers, reflects the continuing partnership between Prince of Wales’ College, its alumni and the corporate community in supporting educational, sporting and development initiatives.
The six-a-side tournament is therefore expected to provide not only two days of entertaining school cricket, but also a fitting sporting celebration of 150 years of Prince of Wales’ College.
India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)
American golfer Matt Gogel has been suspended for six months for betting on golf tournaments, the PGA Tour has said.
The 55-year-old competes on the PGA Tour Champions circuit which is reserved for professional golfers aged 50 and older.
Gogel did not bet on events in which he was participating but admitted to unknowingly violating PGA Tour policy by placing “small recreational wagers” in 2024 and 2025.
“I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf,” Gogel said in a statement.
“I made an honest mistake and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions.”
He had two top-10 finishes across 18 PGA Tour Champions events in 2026 and was most recently in action during the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta where he finished tied 30th last week.
Gogel, who has earned more than $760,000 (£559,000) in prize money from Champions events, won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2002 – his only victory in 179 starts on the PGA Tour.
His suspension came into effect on 23 August and lasts until 22 February.
[BBC Sports]
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