The shortlisted Sri Lanka under 19 training squad for the upcoming Asia Rugby Under 19 Championship will be a compilation of experienced players who have excelled in their respective schoolboy jerseys and will include a few who have donned the Sri Lankan national jerseys at the junior level.
A total of nearly 40 players have been chosen after trials that were held on Monday with the participation of players from a majority of the playing schools. With less than four weeks to go for the Asia Rugby U19 Championship, the coaching staff will be looking at fine-tuning the handpicked school boy talents as Sri Lanka readies to face Hong Kong in a home and away fixture that would eventually see them through to the Junior World Rugby Championship.
Experienced campaigner Naveen Henakankanamage is set to provide leadership to the side and this will be his third stint as a captain of a national side having led the Sri Lanka Under 18’s and Sri Lanka Under 20’s.
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The shortlisted squad consists of players who have represented the country in earlier tours such as last year’s Under 19 Rugby Championship that was held in Malaysia, the Youth Commonwealth Games and the Asia Rugby Under 20 Sevens Series.
Majority of the schoolboy graduates who made it to the Dialog Rugby League have also been picked for the training squad but the next few weeks will decide who will make the final list.
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“There are some players who have been with the clubs but others after the school season, they have been out for some time so we are doing our best” added coach Rajeev Perera speaking to ThePapare on the progress.
“It’s a good side this time around for Sri Lanka and I will be working more with the backs and we have actually three weeks to practice so it will be enough time to come up with a game plan” added Lasintha de Costa who will be playing a new role as a national coach in this tournament.
The shortlisted training squad is as follows
- Naveen Henakankanamage (S. Thomas’ College)
- Aveesha Piyankara (Trinity College)
- Diluksha Dange (Trinity College)
- Shaveen Ekanayake (Trinity College)
- Lashan Wijesuriya (Trinity College)
- Sachith Silva (St. Joseph’s College)
- Shashika Ashan (Wesley College)
- Swen Muller (St. Joseph’s College)
- Chatura Seneviratne (St. Joseph’s College)
- Dinuk Amerasinghe (St. Anthony’s College)
- Jehan Seelagama (St. Anthony’s College)
- Shabeer Mohammed (St. Anthony’s College)
- Gaveen Perera (D. S. Senanayake College)
- Sajith Seram (St. Peter’s College)
- Rishane Madena (Trinity College)
- Heshan Jansen (Kingswood College)
- Lakshitha Ranaweera (Kingswood College)
- Hamza Reeza (Royal College)
- Harith Bandara (Isipathana College)
- Sudeera Gayanath (Isipathana College)
- Chamod Fernando (Isipathana College)
- Zayd Sinhawansa (Zahira College)
- Avishka Lee (Wesley College)
- Samuel Maduwantha (St. Anthony’s College)
- Gihan Perera (St. Joseph’s College)
- Vinul Fernando (St. Joseph’s College)
- Randy Silva (Isipathana College)
- Daiyan Sabar (Wesley College)
- Nipun Tharaka (Dharmaraja College)
- Dula Thavishka (Dharmaraja College)
- Inura Samaranayake (St. Joseph’s College)
- Gemunu Chethiya (St. Joseph’s College)
- Tehan Seneviratne (St. Joseph’s College)
- Ashen Fernando (Royal College)
- Dinesh Rodrigo (St. Anthony’s College)
- Thimira Amanda (Wesley College)
- Deshan Vimukthi (Welsey College)
