Rugby players bred and born in Sri Lanka will be the private property of an organisation called the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at the Asian Games from September 23 to 27 in China.
The players were forced to shed the Sri Lanka flag and play under the banner of somebody else after their keeper Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) was suspended from the international fraternity over administrative matters and other reasons best known to them (SLR), Asia Rugby and World Rugby.
The players will be in a team among 12 Asian nations and will play against South Korea and Chinese Taipei in a Pool first round group stage wearing kits with the colours of the OCA and likely to earn the wrath of rugby followers in the country.
Sri Lanka Rugby will have much to answer for the country’s embarrassment at the Asian Games although some officials will play ball with the powers that be from the sidelines.
“The Tuskers (nickname for Sri Lanka rugby players) Sevens team has been under intensive training from July on Virtual High Performance training under the guidance of Phil Greening a renowned international coach from the UK with the assistance of Sri Lanka Rugby high performance manager Kamal Jayatilleke and currently under the national rugby Sevens head coach Dushan Lewke who is doing a wonderful job at present,” said Nalin de Silva who has been named as SLR Press spokesman.
Tharinda Ratwatte, Adeesha Weeratunga, Chathura Seneviratne, Anjala Hettiarachchi, Aakash Madushanka, Dinupa Seneviratne, Gemunu Cheitiya, Dharshana Dabare, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Ramesh Fernando,Heshan Jansen and Adam Gauder make up the playing party.
Should the players win a medal, they will not stand to attention for the Sri Lanka (National) anthem and instead hear words from the OCA rendition.
Questions have been raised on whether the “patriots” who made a big hue and a cry over a word in the Sri Lanka anthem mispronounced at the opening ceremony of the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL), would challenge the sports establishment in the island should the players shed blood and break limbs to win a medal and dedicate it to an outside opportunist.
It was also unclear whether the players will be able to fly back with a medal should they win one or hand it over to the OCA.
