Sports
Top dog Sri Lanka aims at top finish at Asia Rugby tournament
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Sri Lanka is excitedly getting ready for the Division 1 Asia Rugby 15-a-side Championship which will now be contested between Sri Lanka, India, Qatar and Kazakhstan in Colombo.
Asia Rugby decided to scrap the Division 2 championship after Iran and Pakistan pulled out of competing in this tournament. Hence Kazakhstan’s inclusion in the Division 1 tournament to fill the void created by Pakistan’s unavailability.
Undoubtedly this event sees host Sri Lanka taking the field as the top dog. The islanders enjoy a world ranking of 44 in 15-a-side rugby and should have it easy against India (ranked 87th in the world) in the second match of the tournament. This match is scheduled to take place on April 30 (Tuesday) at 19.00 pm after the curtain raiser to the tournament which is between Qatar (world ranked 94) and Kazakhstan (world ranked 64); scheduled on the same day at 16.00 pm.
This tournament gives Sri Lanka a golden opportunity to bring its national rugby team back into action after the bans it was slapped with by World Rugby and Asian Rugby. The island’s rugby players are raring to go after long period of ‘inactivity’ in the international stage. Sri Lanka did send a team for the last Asian Games, Asian Sevens Series and Commonwealth Games, but then the preparations that went into compiling the national team for these events were inadequate. The volatile environment present for rugby activities in Sri Lanka didn’t help either in preparing the national team for these events.
Now Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) is headed by Retd. Group Captain Nalin De Silva and ‘Himalayan’ efforts are being made to host this tournament at the Race Course-the country’s official venue to host international rugby events. De Silva was quoted saying Asia Rugby’s official website the following regarding the upcoming tournament: “Our players wish to display natural talents and skills and also to share and strengthen our deep-rooted cultural ties through rugby with the visiting Asia Rugby teams”. The inspiring news for Sri Lanka is that the islanders just finished their club rugby season and all the clubs have released their players to attend national pool training.
Sri Lanka’s participation at the Asian Men’s Rugby Championship has been inspirational at times, but heartbreaking too; especially when the islanders have had to face too many challenges off the field. Now the side is relegated to the Division 1 tournament having earlier played in the ‘Asia Men’s Championship’. Sri Lanka’s biggest worry has been the unavailability of players and some players refusing to perform in full capacity when playing for the country in overseas tournaments. The icing on the cake for Sri Lanka could be put this time by three coaches slotted into take charge of the national players. They are Sanath Martis, Dushanth Lewke and Nilfer Ibrahim.
Sri Lanka can only boast of past laurels when talking about the Division 1 tournament. Back in 2019, Sri Lanka, competing in the Division 1 tournament, finished as winners in the 3rd place playoff after winning a crucial game against the hosts, Chinese Taipei. The score read 72-17 in favour of Sri Lanka. In that tournament, Sri Lanka lost in the semis finals of the main competition when they went down fighting to Philippines 39-22.
Now the islanders get another opportunity to put their rugby in order. The Sri Lankans should have it easy against India, a side having a deep-rooted history in rugby like the host team, but going down in the annals of Asia rugby as a nation that never really blossomed in the international stage. Rahul Bose, the President of India Rugby, was quoted in the Asia Rugby official website saying, “As a national federation it is our consistent effort to create conditions for our players where they can put their best foot forward on the international stage”.
Qatar has been a force in the Division 1 tournament over the years. Its Rugby Union President Yousef Al Kuwar was quoted in the Asia Rugby official website stating, “Our 15-a-side programme is very important as we have aspirations to play at the highest level”. Qatar will be meeting Kazakhstan, a side which has also taken a dip in rankings and performance in the international rugby stage. Kazakshtan Rugby Union President President Aigul Jartybayeva has been quoted in the Asia Rugby web site stating, “We are very happy to participate in the Asia Rugby Division 1 Championship in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We are keen on building our men’s team programme and hope to participate and compete in an Asia Rugby tournament such as this. In time, our men’s team can replicate the remarkable success achieved by our women’s programme in both in 7s and 15s. I would like to wish all the athletes the best of luck.”
The focus on Asian rugby these days is on the 15-a-side tournament which will feature the best teams in the second tier of this region. The teams contesting the top tier or the Asia Men’s Championship are Hong Kong China, Malaysia, South Korea and UAE.
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.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) suffered another batting malfunction, this time on a slow, black-soil surface at home, crashing to their fourth successive defeat in IPL 2025. Having lost Travishek in the powerplay, SRH waited until the 13th over to see the first six of the innings, and managed only one more after that Mohammad Siraj caused irreparable damage right from the start, ending with his career-best IPL figures of 4 for 17.
Pat Cummins’ cameo (22* off nine balls) and then his dismissal of Jos Buttler for a duck in Gujarat Titans’ (GT) chase of 153 gave SRH some hope, but that faded away once Washington Sundar clattered 23 off nine balls in the powerplay. Earlier in the day, GT didn’t need Washington with the ball, but his attacking enterprise at No. 4 settled their chase on a slow pitch. Washington fell agonisingly short of a maiden IPL half-century, but his captain Shubman Gill ushered GT home, with an unbeaten 61 off 43 balls, along with Sherfane Rutherford.
Siraj had sparked the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to life when he gave Travis Head a send-off in Adelaide last December. Four months on, Siraj was bowling to Head for the first time in T20s, and the battle lasted just five balls. After Head scored two fours off Siraj, the fast bowler struck with his trademark wobble-seam delivery, having him chip a catch to midwicket for 8.
Abhishek Sharma hit four fours before Siraj had him miscuing a catch to mid-on in his third over of the powerplay. It was Siraj’s 100th wicket in the IPL and sixth in the powerplay, the most by a bowler in that phase so far this season, with an economy rate of 6.27.
Siraj then returned in the death to york both Aniket Verma, the last recognised batter for SRH, and Simarjeet Singh, their Impact Player.
With both Head and Abhishek gone early,Rashid Khan, who was coming into this game on the back of figures of 4-0-54-0, could afford to ease himself in. He started fairly well by giving away just 10 runs in his first two overs, but when he erred in length, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klassen dispatched him to the fence. Rashid finished with 4-0-31-0, going wicketless for a third successive game, and with tournament figures of 1 for 143 in 14 overs at an economy rate of 10.21
Left-arm fingerspinner Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, on the other hand, showed remarkable control over his length and variations. He claimed the big wicket of Klaasen by knocking him over with a quick dart, which skidded off the pitch, for 27 off 19 balls. Sai Kishore also had Reddy holing out for 31 off 34 balls and finished with 4-0-24-2.
That SRH passed 150 was down to Cummins’ late blows. He was the only SRH batter in the top eight to have a strike rate of over 160.
It appeared like GT had handed a franchise debut to Washington to primarily match his offspin up with SRH’s left-hander heavy top order. But with Siraj dominating the powerplay and Sai Kishore taking care of the middle overs, GT ended up not using his offspin.
Washington then walked out to bat at No. 4 after his childhood friend B Sai Sudarshan and Buttler fell cheaply in successive overs. Washington took advantage of the last over of the powerplay, smoking Simarjeet for two sixes and two fours. It provided a throwback to Washington of 2016, when he opened the batting, alongside Abhinav Mukund, in the TNPL and showed the intent to hit over the top. Just like that, Washington dumped SRH’s Impact Player out of the attack.
Washington continued to attack even after that. When the ambidextrous Kamindu Mendis darted one on the stumps with his right hand, Washington manufactured swinging room and laced him over extra-cover for four. Washington seemed set for a fifty until he holed out one shy of the landmark in the 14th over.
Gill, who had already crossed 50 by that point, finished the job along with Rutherford, who hit an unbeaten 35 off 16 balls.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 153 for 3 in 16.4 overs (Shubman Gill 61*, Washington Sundar 49, Sherfaine Rutherford 35*; Mohammed Shami 2-28, Pat Cumminss 1-26) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 152 for 8 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 18, Ishan Krishan 17, Nitish Kumar Reddy 31, Heinrich Klassen 27, Aniket Verma 18,Pat Cummins 22*; Mohammed Siraj 4-17, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore 2-24, Prasidh Krishna 2-25)by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
Rains add to misery in quake-hit Myanmar as death toll rises to 3,471
Zimbabwe to scrap tariffs on US goods as it faces 18% Trump levy
-
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
-
Business13 hours agoColombo Coffee wins coveted management awards
-
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