Pradeep Liyanage shares his perspective on the rugby journey; the challenges, tough times, benefits and much more.
You had a love for cricket and wanted to be a national cricketer. So what made you Pradeep Liyanage the ‘Tusker’?
Yes indeed, I really wanted to progress in cricket and was attending practices from young days. Actually I started playing rugby by an accident even then I didn’t take it seriously. When the class matches were happening one of my friends ran out of a player to represent his class and wanted me to join since I could run. This got me to attend rugby practices but still my focus was cricket. At a certain point I realized though it was unintentional I was focusing on rugby more than cricket. The first to note this was my cricket coach and he insisted I quit rugby. He also pointed how I’ll suffer if I undergo an injury and lose both the sports. But eventually I was doing better with rugby and had the opportunity to practice with seniors which raised my interest. Eventually I dropped out cricket and ended up in rugby.
So since you grew up dreaming about being a cricketer what do you feel being a rugby player instead?
I am really happy that I could make it this far in one of the sports. I’d like to remind that my goal was to represent the country and I achieved that dream. Apart from that, the whole world knows Sri Lanka for cricket, so a cricketer is world recognized. It’s not the same for rugby; I hope it’ll change soon. When I was switching the sports I didn’t consider all these facts I simply loved rugby. I think I made this far because I loved the game and I am satisfied about it. After all I am doing what I love, I don’t see what can give more satisfaction in life that that.
You were in the under 19 squad for three years but was able represent the country only in the last year, any comments?
Yes in the first two years though I qualified for the squad which consisted of 50 – 60 players was dropped out from the team selections. Mostly I think this was due to some mistakes I carried with me but I had the urgency to represent the National team at the final year somehow. So I was practicing hard and developed myself to face the competition. I knew I’ll get the opportunity to go to Japan, and I think this was also a catalyst to increase my commitment.
As person who represents one of the toughest clubs -Kandy- and the national team how do you manage that and your personal life?
Rugby is my personal life, at least for now. I am committed to the sport to give my level best to the country and the club, so that take 80% of my life. Balancing between Kandy and National matches isn’t hard since the schedules hardly clash. Once Kandy matches are done I take part in the Nationals. All in all they are working in my favor. If anything my parents were concerned about work. They wanted to see me as a professional personality parallel to the sport which was difficult in my case.
How is the working atmosphere? Is it helpful enough for you to focus on your sport more?
Right now I am part of MAS holding and what can I say, they take real good care of us. They have lot of resources allocated for sportsmen, and I am really satisfied with my current job. Previously I worked at a bank and the times were hard. They allowed us to get involved in the sport but were strict with working hours as well. For example, if a match takes place on Sunday they’d still want us to present at work on Monday regardless of any injuries we face in the match. This was tough; I had to get my life together at the most crucial times and work. This is not the case at MAS and even after a season they’d be generous enough to extend the holidays considering special circumstances. I hope I’ll be able to return the favor by working at the firm full time once I am done with rugby.
You mentioned, before joining the sport, you considered rugby to be an unsafe game. What do you feel now, is it true?
To a certain extent my views have changes but I still don’t think of it as a safe sport. My initial fear was about getting injured and luckily I didn’t come across any serious injuries in my school life. Moving on to my club life I had a knee injury and had to be away from the game for almost a year. Even with the best medical care the doctors weren’t sure of a full recovery. So the fact remains that I think it’s bit hazardous but the club and officials took good care of us. I don’t think there are many doctors who are specialized for sports only. If these medical facilities change there will be some optimism at the end of the tunnel. Yet when one undergoes an injury he suffers really badly physically and mentally. Recovering is very difficult; you see all your partners climbing up while you are taken aback. Once you get back on the ground you have to practice double the amount as the rest to make up for the performance. This is very difficult task.
Finally, today there are a lot of clubs coming up. As a senior what will be your message to an amateur who’s planning to join Kandy (Club)?
Kandy is a great club with a long history. Not to mention it’s a winning history. There’s a huge fan base following the club and you are well recognized anywhere as a representative from Kandy. So it’s certainly a privilege to be part of such a club. If anyone watches a match they’ll realize representing Kandy is an honor. At the same time it’s really difficult to join the club. You really need to put together your best performances. What I’ve experienced in life is that you have to work hard for any gains; nobody is bothered to feed you with stuff. At the end of the day it’s your aim that counts. You can’t rest and expect to achieve your goals. So work hard and grab a position in the club it’s worth the price.
