As many as six players from St.Peter’s College are included in the 25 man squad for the Asian Schools Football Championship.
The six players included are Afam Akram, Sunthararaj Niresh, Ashfaq Ayub, Perumal Praveen, Peshala Rajakaruna and Ishan Dhanusha; all of whom were in the Peterite team which lost to Zahira College last year, in the final of the All Island Schools U19 Football Championship. Incidentally there are only three from the dominant Zahira College squad with just two who played in that final.
The Sri Lanka U19 Football team will be touring Baotou, China for the 43rd Asian School Football Boys Championship which will be held from August 30 to September 9.
A most notable factor is that 3 players from the war- torn North have also been included in the squad. R.Madushan and Jude Suman represents a football power house in St.Henry’s College, Jaffna and Devaraja Clinton comes from St.Xavier College, Mannar.
S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia creates history with Akhil Fernando as the first Thomian to ever represent Sri Lanka in football while Supun Dhananjaya and Rasik Rishad from St.Aloysius’ College, Galle; Rajitha Sandaruwan from Hewavitharana MV, Kavisha Vikum (Walisinghe MV, Anuradhapura), Sandun Malshan (Richmond College) and Kandy District Schools captain Anjana Chandimal representing the newly crowned All Island Division II Champions Kingswood College, are also in the touring squad.
The most intriguing fact is that 13 of the 24 man squad are playing premier league football for elite clubs in Sri Lanka’s top division; Dialog Champions League. Of them Danushka Madushanka, Afam Akram, Sunthararaj Niresh, Dilip Peiris, Shaheel Azar, Kasun Sandeepa and Farood Faiz stands out playing with and against the best in the country.
“These guys have trained under me for two months and are well drilled. Even though I won’t be the coach on tour the players need not be afraid and I have done everything possible to make them feel confident,” Sumith Walpola, who trained the squad, added.
Danushka Madushanka playing for last year’s Champions League runner-up Colombo FC was adjudged the Most Valuable Player in the recently concluded FA Cup where Colombo FC became champions with him scoring in the quarter final, semifinal and the only goal in the final against Blue Star SC. The prolific goal scorer scored a hat-trick in the ongoing Champions League season against Negombo Youth. Unfortunately for him and his schoolmate Rajitha Sandaruwan will sadly not be making the trip due to financial difficulties.
“Sad to see him (Madushanka) not going, he is a guy who is in form and an integral part of the team. He is a goal hungry machine,” Walpola added.
Afam Akram (Java Lane SC), Sunthararaj Niresh and Shaheel Azar (Saunders SC), Dilip Peiris and Kasun Sandeepa (Don Bosco SC) are all regular starters for their respective clubs. Dilip Peiris is the current leading goal scorer in the ongoing All Island Schools U19 Football Championship while Jude Suman and Madushan play for the reigning Dialog Champions League Champions Solid SC from Anuradhapura.
Saunders SC: Sunthraraj Niresh, Shaheel Azar, Mahendran Dinesh
Renown SC: Farood Faiz, Mohamed Ishan
Java Lane: Afam Akram, Naveen Jude
Solid SC: Jude Suman, R.Madushan
Don Bosco: Dilip Peiris, Kasun Sandeepa
Negombo Youth: Mohamed Nuslan
Colombo FC: Danushka Madushanka
U19 Squad
Goalkeepers
Rasik Rishad (St.Aloysius’), Mahendran Dinesh (Hameed Al Husseinie), Mohamed Ishan (Zahira ), Ashfaq Ayub (St.Peter’s)
Defenders
Ishan Danusha (St.Peter’s), Perumal Praveen (St.Peter’s), R.Madushan (St.Henry’s), Rajitha Sandaruwan ( Hewavitharana MV), Sandun Malshan (Richmond), Kavisha Vikum (Walisinghe MV), Devaraja Clinton ( St.Xavier), Jude Suman ( St.Henry’s)
Midfielders
Farood Faiz (Zahira), Kasun Sandeepa (Maris Stella), Mohamed Nuslan (Al Falah MV), Sunthararaj Niresh (St.Peter’s), Akhil Fernando (S.Thomas’)
Forwards
Shaheel Azar (Zahira), Supun Dhananjaya (St.Aloysius’), Naveen Jude (Royal), Danushka Madushanka (Hewavitharana MV), Afam Akram (St.Peter’s), Peshala Rajakaruna (St.Peter’s), Dilip Peiris (Maris Stella), Anjana Chandimal (Kingswood)
