Lanka News – Lanka Gazette – Sri Lanka News Portal

NATIONAL SPORTS COUNCIL: Upali Hewage who recently retired as Deputy Inspector General of Police after a 38-year unblemished stint, was recently appointed to the National Sports Council.

Upali had an outstanding school career at Thurstan College, captaining the Rugby team in 1968, playing in the company of players like Sunil Jayakody, Mangala Rathnayake, Tissa Nanayakkara, Wasantha Perera, Rohan Boudweyn and the late Diyanesh Rajaratnam. He was the athletic captain and Sergeant of the Senior Cadet Platoon.

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CRICKET: Maris Stella College, Negombo captain Malinda Samarasekera is the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer Outstation. He won the contest with 82,892 votes, while Krishan Wickremarachchi of Gamini M.V. second with 81,415 votes and S. Rajaguru of Nugawela Central in third position 78,009 votes.

Malinda in captaining the Maris Stella team had a successful season leading the team through an unbeaten season and his fine leadership enabled the team to qualify for the limited overs tournament of SLSCA.

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I usually start the column with cricket which is my pet subject having played it at the highest level. I digress to comment on my second pet sport soccer because I hail from a soccer crazy school St. Benedict’s College.

Although not kicking a ball in school, I had followed the destines of that game very closely in a school that churned out champion teams regularly with Brazilian trained coach the late, great Albert Fernando being the coach without peer.

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CRICKET: Royal College allrounder Kithuruwan Vithanage, under 19 Sri Lanka Youth vice-captain is the OBSERVER-MOBITEL Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer All-Island 2010. Kithuruwan, an aggressive left-hand batsman should go places in big time cricket.

Kithruwan, the Royal cricketer has been invited to play for Surrey in England in the Twenty20 Tournament. He is sponsored by Grey Nicolas of Surrey, England. Ravi de Silva is the Manager of Kithruwan.

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DURBAN, South Africa, June 19, Wesley Sneijder fired the Netherlands to a comfortable 1-0 win over Japan and pole position in World Cup Group E here on Saturday.

After seeing off Denmark 2-0 in their opening match, the Dutch now sit atop their group on a maximum six points from two games, with Japan on three points having beaten Cameroon 1-0 in their opener.

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FOOTBALL: JOHANNESBURG, June 19, 2010: A toothless England were held to a goalless draw by Algeria on Friday to leave their hopes of World Cup survival hanging in the balance while Serbia defeated 10-man Germany.

Fabio Capello’s England, already under pressure after their 1-1 opener against the United States, struggled to find a way past the Algerians and gave their critics more ammunition with a bleak performance in Cape Town.

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CRICKET: “I am thoroughly impressed in the manner the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year competition has been organised. It was heartening to note that the competition had catered to cricketers around the country. The young cricketers blossom out from the schools and are prepared to accept the challenges from the outside world of cricket.” So said Keheliya Rambukwella – Minister of Mass Media and Information who was the chief guest at the 32nd Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards presentation at the Bandaranaike ‘A’ Hall, BMICH on Monday evening.

The awards presentation show this year was quite different from the ones held in former years as no speeches were made and Minister Rambukwella whispered his thoughts to me.

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OUTSTATION CRICKETER: Playing cricket for six years for the 1st XI team of a school is a unique achievement and Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Malith Chathuranga Gunasekera can well be somewhat proud of the fact that he captained Tissa MMV of Kalutara this year.

He has performed well with the bat and ball this season. A capable batsman Malith Chathuranga Gunasekera has gathered 1,607 runs in the season which has just ended. He had top score of 217 against Sri Jayawardenapura College, Kotte. He has scored four centuries and ten half centuries in the 15 matches this season. His cricketing prowess does not end with his batting. He is also a clever bowler and he has claimed 118 wickets with his medium pacies. He has got five-wicket hauls eleven times. His best effort has a match haul of 16 wickets _ 9 for 19 and 7 for 26 in the first and second innings against Horana Royal College. It was a satisfying performance for him.

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CRICKET AWARDS: Two captains Bhanuka Rajapakse of Royal College and Malith Chathuranga Gunasekera of Tissa MMV Kalutara were the proud winners of the two main awards in the 32nd Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the year All-Island and Outstation awards respectively at the awards ceremony held on Monday night-June 14 at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Hall, BMICH.

Bhanuka Rajapakse, the Captain of Royal College was the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year All Island and Malith Chathuranga Gunasekera of Tissa MMV Kalutara was the winner of the Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. They were picked by the panel of Umpires from the Association of Cricket Umpires Sri Lanka, Central Province Cricket Umpires Association, Southern Province Cricket Umpires Association and assisted by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association.

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Come tomorrow and Mobitel and Sunday Observer’ will, as they usually do every year honour the stars that shone brightly in the inter-school firmament by bringing them on stage at the Bandaranaike International Hall and richly rewarding tham.

Initially, this column gives credit to sponsors Mobitel for partnering the best selling weekly the ‘Sunday Observer’ at the wicket and scoring for the cricketer, the game and the schools who shone like beacons in the recently concluded school season.

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