Asia Rugby Championship Under 19

Confident Sri Lanka face hosts Taipei in opener

By Shamzeer Jaleel

Sri Lanka Youth Rugby outfit (Under 19) will be locking horns against the hosts Taipei in their first match of the Asia Rugby Championship Under 19 event  which will take place at the Taipei Municipal Stadium on December 12.

Defending champions, Hong Kong are favored to pull it off will play Korea in the first game of the day.

Sri Lanka Youth outfit is led by former Joes and CR &FC player, Gemunu Chethiya with Dushantha Lewke Heading the Coaching unit. Maliyadeva player Ishara Herath lost out on the tour due to an injury twodays back which leaves Sri Lanka in a tight situation for kick at goal with Hettiarachi and Zamil being the other two options.

Sri Lanka will play Hong Kong (December 15) and Korea (December 18) in the league format encounters. Taipei leg 4^th placed team will be demoted for the 2019 events to division I while the winners of  Taipei leg will represent Asia at the Junior World Rugby Tournament (JWRT) Division I in early 2019.

 Sri Lanka in their fifteens history qualified for the Junior World Rugby Tournament nearly two decades ago which took place in Chile.

Touring squad of 26 players are 

Gemunu Chethiya (Capt), Tharindu De Alwis, Shan Akila, Keshan Kavinda (all from St Joseph's), Praveenda Wijethilake and Vishwa Ranaraja (both from Trinity), Himantha Hirushan, Ifham Fareed, Fadhil Adhan, Visitha Kavinjana, Maleesha Maduwan, Mubeen Faleel, Kalindu Nandila and Janidu Dilshan  (all from Royal), Rashmika Chandrarathne (Kingswood), Adeesha Handunpathirana (St Thomas), Julian Charles, Jason Karunaratne and Rukshan Madushanka (St Peters), Mohamed Sabeer, Ishara Liyanage (both from St Anthony%u2019s), Dayan Sabar (Wesley) Ravindu Anjula(Isipathana), Tuan Zamil (Lumbini) and Tharindu Hettiarachchi (Vidyartha)

Head Coach                       Dushantha Lewke

Assistant Coach/Team Manager Mohamed Mushtaq

Meanwhile the Division I will take place between Singapore, China, Philippines and Thailand. This event will take place in Thailand. The winners of this event will be promoted to top