Black Panther Nalin returns to the hunt, cannot imagine rugby’s latest kill | Sunday Observer

Black Panther Nalin returns to the hunt, cannot imagine rugby’s latest kill

9 October, 2022
Nalin de Silva: ‘The players have waited long enough’ (Pic by Sudath Malaweera)
Nalin de Silva: ‘The players have waited long enough’ (Pic by Sudath Malaweera)

He was one of the most feared rugby forwards in the country in the 1980s who smashed past opposing teams and now he is back on the prowl this time to take the sport to more people from the inside.

In contrast to what he was on the playing field, the retired Air Force Group Captain Nalin de Silva can easily fit the bill as probably the nicest guy on the sporting backstage, ever ready to oblige and welcome and even plead that makes him a rare breed completely different from the rest.

He could not believe his eyes to see more than half a dozen commercial godfathers of rugby line up to sponsor what is said to be the start of a new phase in domestic Sevens that has attracted a whopping 26 teams and over 300 players.

“In my career I have never seen such a lot of sponsors at the head table and they deserve a big hand,” said De Silva who has consumed 55 years of the country’s 143-year old rugby history.

“Black Panther and Iron Man or Yakadaya were some of the names he was called as he graced the field for more than 20 years and placed his signature as a member of the Bowl winning team at the Hong Kong Sevens in 1984.

The painting industry, instant foods, an international airline and a soothing pain-killing balm are some of the stakeholders that have all swooped in to cash in on what Sri Lanka Rugby says is the fastest growing spectator sport in the island after cricket.

But critics of Sri Lanka Rugby say it has lost far bigger amounts in sponsorship packages than they were able to procure due to arrogance on the part of some officials while De Silva is seen as being too polite and too patronizing for a man of his stature.

The former Number Eight is one of the familiar figures of a past era ever willing to listen to anyone who speaks the language of rugby and knows more about the shortfalls or pitfalls in promoting the sport with a media savvy and simple approach.

On Wednesday he lit up what would have been an otherwise sedate media event to officially herald the Sevens launch as he kept the corporate and media invitees on the edge with a kind of sparkle borrowed from none.

In all his generosity he paid a tribute to past rugby keepers like a true retired trooper.

“This is a tournament that players have waited long enough for and this enthusiasm has been created by everybody including past presidents, secretaries and committees. We are taking over and running what they have developed,” said De Silva who is now the deputy president of Sri Lanka Rugby.

He belonged to a select tribe of players who came along, played their part, gave teeming crowds what they paid to see and moved on.

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