Sri Lanka Navy was the stand out performers in this year’s Ellawella League Championship as there was no team to stop them during the 7 week championship and remained unbeaten during the entire championship.
In the final week of the championship Sri Lanka Navy beat RCUAC 15-04 and Army 19-05 to seal their dominance. Sri Lanka Navy also successfully concludes a record breaking championship where they scored 150 goals in just 6 games.
OTSC who lost to Navy in the initial stages of the championship claimed 2 position while RCUAC who lost to OTSC and Navy claimed the 3rd position of this championship.
In one the interesting games of the week RCUAC beat ONASC with a score line of 37-03. This was also Royal 3rd consecutive 30+ score in 3 weeks. Royal defense were very strong and kept Nalanda to 2 goal less quarters and gave away just 1 and 2 goals each in the 1st and 3rd quarters. For Royal Yasodha Wasalage top scored with 7 goals while Yahiya Jaffer scored 6 goals. Also for Royal Captain Akila Weerasinghe scored 5 goals while Basith Yakoob scored 4. Rifat Uwais, Chandula Fernando and Gavin Shanuka scored 3 goals each. Aadhil and Senith chipped in 2 goals for Royal. For Nalanda Pavithra Perera scored 2 while Malsha Mahagamage scored 1 goal.
In another game of the final week Unbeaten Navy met RCUAC. RCUAC who had scored 3 30+ scores in the earlier weeks came to upset the strong Navy team which might have changed the entire points table. Royal’s Yahiya Jaffer scored the solitary goal in the 1st quarter to take Royal in to a shocking 1st quarter lead against an all-star Navy team. But Navy hit back with 2 goals from Wasim M. Bawa in the 2nd quarter to take the lead. Royal then scored through Akila Weerasinghe to equal the score once again but another 2 goal from Shehan Dassanayaka took Navy right in to the lead. Royal’s Yahiya Jaffer then scored once again to cut down the Navy lead but Navy extended their lead through another goal by Wasim M. Bawa. But Navy who regroup in the final half of the game scored 10 goals in the and kept Royal to a goal less 3rd quarter and gave away just 1 goal in the 4th quarter. For Navy Bhanuka Wijesundara, Shehan Dassanayaka, Wasim M. Bawa and Shan Lakshitha scored in the 3rd quarter while Shan Lakshitha scored 2 more goal in the 4th quarter with Akila Watareka too scoring 2 more goals, Wasim M. Bawa and Thisura Thamanegama scored a goal to put the finishing touches on Royal. For Royal Gavin Shanuka scored in the 4th quarter. Navy won the game 15-04.
In Navy’s final game of the league they met Sri Lanka Army and won the game comfortably 15 goals to 04. For Navy Shehan Dassanayake top scored with 7 goals while Wasim M. Bawa scored 5 goals and Musharraf Uwais scored 4 goals. Yahan Samarajeewa scored 2 and Bhanuka Wijesundara scored a goal each for winners. For Army Anura Bandara scored 2 while K K S Thushara and K D S P Rathnapala scored a goal each.
In other games of the week Sri Lanka Army beats SSC 07- 04 while OTSC received a walk over against ACAC.
With this the 7 week League Championship hosted by Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union and Sri Lanka Water Polo Successfully comes to an end.
