Sports
Trinity’s Dinuka selected for Under 19 Asian Cup
Hirun recalled after impressive performance for St. Joseph’s
by Reemus Fernando
Trinity College spinner Dinuka Tennakoon has found a place in the Sri Lanka Under 19 team for the upcoming Under 19 Asia Cup while St. Joseph’s College opener Hirun Kapurubandara has been recalled after being sidelined for the previous youth assignment.
Left-arm spinner Tennakoon is the only new face in the 17-man squad selected for the regional event which starts on Friday in Dubai. Tennakoon picked up two wickets and joined Jayavi Liyanagama to see Trinity pursue a difficult chase to defend the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket title against St. Joseph’s recently. Supun Waduge who played a crucial role with the bat for Trinity during the knockout stage of the said tournament is included in the team as a traveling reserve.
The Joes opener Kapurubandara who was dropped for the last Sri Lanka Under 19 assignment was in red hot form for his school during the recently held Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ tournament. Kapurubandara maintained a Bradmanesque average and helped St. Joseph’s reach the final.
Royal College batsman Sineth Jayawardena is the captain of the Sri Lanka Under 19 team which will compete in Group ‘B’ where Bangladesh, UAE and Japan are the other teams. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal are drawn in group ‘A’.
Richmond College all-rounder Malsha Tharupathi is the most experienced player in the team. He will be the deputy to Jayawardena.
While there are two players each from St. Peter’s and Trinity, Vishwa Lahiru (Sri Sumangala College, Panadura), Garuka Sanketh (Lyceum International School, Wattala) and Ravishan de Silva (P de S. Kularatne College, Ambalangoda) make the presence of lower division schools felt.
The team will depart for Dubai on December 6.
Sri Lanka U19 Squad:
Sineth Jayawardena (Captain – Royal College, Colombo), Pulindu Perera (Dharmaraja College, Kandy), Vishen Halambage (St. Peter’s College, Colombo), Ravishan de Silva (P. De S. Kularathna Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda), Sharujan Shanmuganathan (St. Benedict’s College, Colombo), Dinura Kalupahana (Mahinda College, Galle), Malsha Tharupathi (Vice-Captain – Richmond College, Galle), Vihas Thevmika (Thurstan College, Colombo), Vishwa Lahiru (Sri Sumangala College, Panadura), Garuka Sanketh (Lyceum International School, Wattala), Duvindu Ranatunga (Mahanama College, Colombo), Hirun Kapurubandara (St. Joseph’s College, Colombo), Rusanda Gamage (St. Peter’s College, Colombo), Dinuka Tennakoon (Trinity College, Kandy), Ruvishan Perera (Ananda College, Colombo)
Travelling Reserves:
Supun Waduge (Trinity College, Kandy), Janith Fernando (Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa)
Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute from a rebound yielded by backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory.
Merino was the late hero for the second straight match for Spain, who advanced to face tournament favourite France in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas.
Merino came on in the 86th minute and scored from his second touch of the match, charging into the box and pouncing after Lammens spilled a Pau Cubarsi shot from outside the area.
The Arsenal forward also scored as a substitute early in injury time to secure Spain’s 1-0 victory over Portugal in the last-16.
Lammens, the Manchester United keeper, was forced into the match in the 71st minute after longtime Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois left with an apparent thigh injury.
Belgium desperately pressed for an equaliser in the final minutes, but Aymeric Laporte volleyed their best chance out of the box.
Fabian Ruiz scored the opening goal in the 30th minute for Spain after Courtois had parried a shot from Dani Olmo from Pedro Porro’s cut-back from the right of the area, but Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere scored the first goal allowed by Spain in the entire World Cup in the 41st minute.
His header from Timothy Castagne’s cross from the right ended a record streak of 649 minutes without conceding at the World Cup.
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place today (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
Text and Pic by SK Samaranayake
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place tomorrow (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
by S K SAMARANAYAKE
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