DIG Lewke plays foul

Politics of rugby that threatens
to ruin the sport

By Lal Gunasekera

Something has radically gone wrong with the rugby set-up in Sri Lanka and of late many issues have come to the surface.

This is  particularly so with regard to the selection of a captain and team for the Asian Division I championship to get underway in Taipei on November 12, removal and resignation of selectors, and also the Chairman of the Police Rugby Committee DIG Nimal Lewke (who also heads the local Rugby Union) writing to the IGP to take disciplinary action against an ASP who happened to be one of the selectors and resigned in protest over Minister Lokuge including a player who was not originally picked by the selectors in the team sent for the Minister's ratification.

It all started over the captaincy issue, with DIG Nimal Lewke's  son Dushan being picked to captain the national side with Dilantha Wijesekera as his deputy. This was done by the earlier selectors headed by retired Brigadier Jupana Jayawardene. These selectors were later removed from office by Minister Lokuge. A new set of selectors were appointed by the Minister on October 22 headed by Rohan Abeykoon. This set of selectors nominated Wijesekera to be the captain for the entire tour of Chinese Taipei.

Tricked by the SLRFU

However, Minister Lokuge, had said at a meeting that as he had been "tricked" by the SLRFU to ratify the name of Dushan Lewke for the Chinese Taipei tour,  young Lewke should be made captain for the first game and Wijesekera for the second.

The Sports Ministry in a letter to this writer subsequently denied the minister having said that he was 'tricked,' but we have it on good authority that he did make such a statement.

In fact the letter written by the SLRFU secretary which the minister reportedly approved, though signed did not contain the name of the signatory  except for the fact that it was on a Rugby Union letterhead and  dated September 1, 2008.

If the minister now claims that he was not 'tricked' he would look even sillier as the letter approved by him gives the name of the vice captain as Dilanka Wijesinghe when there is no player by that name. The player in question is Dilanka Wijesekera.

The heading of the letter itself states "Singer-Sri Lankan International Seven a Side Tournament 2008, team list for approval and selection of Captain to the International 15 a Side Rugby Team."

Approved the selection

Therefore in effect, the Minister has approved the selection based on a letter signed by an unnamed person with a non existent player being named as vice captain. The heading of the letter was misleading with the seven a side tournament being mixed up with  the selection of a captain for the international 15 a side.

If the minister was not tricked, was he confused?

In any event the suggestion of  Minister Lokuge to appoint two captains being  silly  the selectors insisted that this was an absurd situation. How would it be if there were different captains appointed for a Test series in cricket? Mahela Jayawardene for one, Chaminda Vaas for the next?

Pretty absurd isn't it and a big joke. But this is what exactly happened where rugby  and the tour of Taipei was concerned.

Sent for ratification

The selectors had then sent the team they had picked for ratification, and to their surprise saw that one player had been 'dropped' and another brought in. Due to this interference by the minister the selectors  resigned on November 1 after having been in office just nine days.

However the Rugby Union went on to nominate players to replace those from Kandy Sports Club who either refused to play under young Lewke or said they were injured. This list was later  sent for ratification.

But the question is -  how did the Union pick players? According to the Sports Law, it has to be the selectors and no one else.

The latest episode involved DIG Lewke who has written a confidential letter to the IGP on November 3, recommending disciplinary action taken against ASP Marso, a member of the selection committee, who resigned with the others.

Vested interests

What Lewke has attempted to do through his letter is punish ASP Marso for his role as a selector which had nothing to do with his service interests.  This was so when Lewke himself had a vested interest due to the captaincy issue over his son.

That in effect is a classic case of a conflict of interest with Lewke attempting to use his rank to punish a fellow police officer over an issue which had nothing to do with his performance as a Police Officer.

In this letter to the IGP, DIG Lewke, states that he (DIG Lewke) "condemns the conduct of ASP Marso" who he feels has violated the disciplinary code, and more than anything, "gone against the police captain," who was brought in by the Minister, 'which is unpardonable' and that he had even insulted the Minister.

'Chief spokesman' of the selection committee

DIG Lewke accuses ASP Marso of being the 'chief spokesman' of the selection committee that resigned and then publicly criticised the decision of the Minister during Sirasa TV's 7 p.m. news bulletin on November 1.

In the same letter to the IGP, DIG Lewke, refers to a rumour about a "rich entrepreneur with dubious reputation, who is the architect of this whole episode and believes that there has been a black money transaction which was the cause of the split as this person's favourite player was left out from the team."  He also refers to the man dealing with black money as a failed politician. That alone is a serious allegation and raises a question about the action Lewke as a senior Police Officer has taken to apprehend a man dealing in black money if he in fact had information to that effect.

When The Sunday Leader asked DIG Lewke to whom he was referring to, and why no Police action was been taken, he said that the person was one Rizly Illyaz and that no complaint has been made to enable an inquiry into this matter. "It's just a rumour" said Lewke but what he did not say is that Illyaz is not a politician - failed or otherwise.

The irony however is that Lewke has as a Deputy Inspector General of Police seen it fit to put pen to paper on a rumour and bring it to the notice of the IGP no less and demanded action against a fellow Police Officer.(See box for Lewke's letter)

 The Sunday Leader attempted to contact Rizly Illyaz but was told that he has gone on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

IGP Jayantha Wickremaratne too was not available for comment.

Marso is a policeman, but as a national selector, he takes independent decisions with the others of the selection committee. One does not have club loyalties when one is in the selection committee.

Another interesting aspect of the selection process, is a letter sent by DIG Lewke to former Chairman of the selection committee, Brigadier (Rtd) Jupana Jayawardene, on July 30 that the candidate for the captaincy should have represented Sri Lanka at national level at least for three consecutive years without any interruption. That was to ensure his son qualified for the job.

How can the SLRFU dictate terms to the selectors, appointed by the Sports Minister who have to be independent in their decisions?

The question is whether Lewke is the real problem when it comes to rugby selections.

It is therefore time President Mahinda Rajapakse himself a keen rugby fan took matters to hand and resolved the outstanding issues without allowing  the jackboot of a policemen to ruin the game of rugby in Sri Lanka and with it our future prospects too.

Hapless rugby looks to the one 'above'

TRY making sense out of this sequence:

 Sport Minister Lokuge claims he was misled into approving the appointment of Dushantha Lewke as national rugby captain. So he invalidates the appointment, sacks the errant selectors and replaces them with a new set.

 The new panel choose the 24-member touring squad and names Dilanka Wijesekera as captain. But Lokuge, as if just recovered from a bout of amnesia, wants Lewke back as captain, at least for one match. The selectors consent.

 Upshot: Two captains of one team, for two separate games of one tournament. This might not be a resolution that makes much sense, but at least the protracted bitchiness the captaincy controversy generated had come to an end, and the focus could now shift to the Asian Nations Championships itself. Right? Not by a long shot.

 Unbeknownst, the ministry, on orders from "above,', make two changes to the touring squad of 24, then summon the selectors and ask them to sanction the two changes. Selectors resist. The ministry, in an apparent bid to strike a compromise, agrees to make one change. Selectors won't buy - and resign, mind you, just nine days of their appointment. Sri Lanka rugby, so, is poised to have a third set of selectors in nearly as many weeks.

 With the selection committee out of the way, the ministry goes ahead and makes one change in the touring squad: Police's B.D.N. Fernando displaces Kandy SC no.8 Bisthmian. The union releases the amended squad, a day after issuing the original selections.

 Two senior Kandy SC players, in protest of their club mate's scratching, pullout of the touring squad and some half dozen others, also from Kandy, stay away from training, citing injuries.

 Upshot (2): Back to the episode's beginning in September, when Lewke was first appointed captain, instigating the withdrawal of 13 Kandy SC players from the national training squad.

Managed to work through that maze? If your mind, however, is in a spin and feels as if you have come off an over-speeding merry-go-round, well, it's not your blood pressure misbehaving, but rather, that is pretty much what the sequence adds up to: a journey to nowhere, just like a ride on the merry-go-round is. And frankly, any suggestion that we withdraw from the November 12 tournament is not without merit. Of course, it is a little too late now for a pullout of a tournament that is sanctioned by the ARFU - and by extension the IRB - as withdrawals can mean the country being blackballed by the world body.

Pursuance of vested interest more than any fear of being ostracised by the IRB, however, will be the reason which compels Sri Lanka to show its flag in Chinese-Taipei next week. Reportedly, the union is going ahead with plans to name replacements for what appears to be an imminent boycott by the Kandy players.

Such a move is as good as tip-toeing through a minefield. For one thing, there is no selection committee, which means the Sport Minister would have to, in a hurry, name new selectors to do the job of naming replacements for the likely withdrawals. Given the way Minister Lokuge has flaunted his powers, picking selectors in a jiffy to do an urgent job is not beyond him.

That, though, is not the issue. Rather, the question is if the replacements will fit into schemes and strategies formulated after weeks of experimentation with players originally chosen. Rugby is about teamwork - a quality that doesn't come after a mere few days of on-field togetherness, which is how briefly the new players would have worked with the rest of the squad before taking on Asia's first division countries.

This is, of course, presuming the new (yet unannounced) selection committee (which would be the third appointed in as many weeks) had chosen the replacement-players. But given that the squad is to depart just two-three days from the time of this writing,  Friday afternoon, it is inconceivable all the formalities of naming new selectors, and them selecting some half-dozen new players could be completed in time.

Through necessity, some other officials would, in this instance, obviously have to do the job of the selectors - which bring into question the legality of the selection. The law requires a ministry-appointed selection committee to choose national teams/squads, and replacements, should the need arise. So, selections of players to join the national team/squad by any other person or body other than the selection committee will be deemed ultra vires - and so raise the prospects of someone, anyone, seeking an injunction order from court to prevent the team from competing.

That, of course, is the worse case scenario, though honestly, it is the eventuality this long-playing bickering deserves. On reflection, the two months of nitpicking has all been about national captaincy, ever a debatable issue, no matter who the nominee is. In the case of Lewke's appointment, though, accusation of bias was much too strong to make it a debate of low intensity: his father, DIG Nimal Lewke, is SLRFU President, and inevitably suspicion will hang thick over the son's appointment.

As if the papa-sonna factor wasn't enough wood in the fire, the fickleness of Sport Minister Lokuge did anything but help put out the flames. Historically, sport ministers have been square pegs force-inserted into round holes. You wouldn't expect the one-time trade unionist to know if Muralitharan would be more effective on the dustbowl of Khettarama or the green top in Dunedin, much less if Bisthmian is a better no.8 than Lewke.

If Lokuge's knowledge of sport was that intimate, he wouldn't ask selection committees to do the job. But the trouble is that, once the selectors have done their job, Lokuge puts his two-cent worth - which is why rugby has had a high turnover of selectors. It will be recalled, last year too the Anton Benedict-led selection panel quit after just six months, refusing to comply with Lok- uge's demand to include the five Kandy SC players the selectors had excluded because of absence from training.

Against that backdrop, you don't need to be an exceptional intellect to deduce that politics is the reason for Lokuge's shifty decision-making. He might have stood by the selectors' choice of 24, meaning the retention of Kandy SC's Bisthmian and Wijesekera as the sole leader, but for the fact that orders from "above'' have to be obeyed (as admitted by the ministry officials at the meeting in which the selectors' resigned).

The central reason for this dispute is the same old, tired one: the perennial bickering between the Union and Kandy SC. The affiliation of Malik Samarawickrema to the champion side is as common a knowledge as his political affiliations to the UNP. So, it is just possible that rugby's current tug-of-war is a spillover of the Government v. UNP rivalry.

Were it not, then Lokuge, using all his experience in the tough, unruly world of trade unionism, would have knocked the heads of the Union and Kandy SC together and restored order - rather than allow rugby's grownups to behave like unruly kids. But Lokuge, apparently, too is under orders of someone "above'' and so can't be the man he is. He has been described as a 'bull in the China shop;' a goat might be better metaphor - a scapegoat, that is.

Full Option Safe Drivers Rally

Most people associate motor rallies with thrills which are based purely on the drivers skill in handling a vehicle at high speed. However the Ceylon Motor Sports Club(CMSC) - the premier motor club of Sri Lanka and Janashakthi Insurance - an innovative and leading motor insurance company in Sri Lanka have joined hands to organise a truly unique experience to the average drivers of Sri Lanka and the general motor  loving public.

This event is named the Janashakthi Full Option Mind challenge which is based predominantly on team work of the driver and his navigator and on mind power as much as their driving skills. This event will be held on November 16. It provides an excellent opportunity for any motorist to participate in a motor sports competition without having to do any special preparation of the vehicle or needing any special driving skills.

This event is recognised by the governing body of motor sport, Sri Lanka Automobile Sports as a National Event and is organised as a "time and distance" rally.

Highlights of the week

Anil Kumble retires

Indian Test Cricket captain Anil Kumble called it quits from all forms of the game at the conclusion of the third test against Australia. The 38-year-old leg spinner represented India in 132 Tests, having made his debut way back in the year 1990. Kumble has captured 619 test wickets, the third highest in the history of the game.

Lewis Hamilton - New Formula I champion

Swiss based British driving sensation Lewis Hamilton held his nerve to become the world's youngest Formula I champion. The final race of the year, the Brazilian Grand Prix came to a dramatic end when Hamilton took fifth spot on the final stretch to pip race winner Felipe Massa for the overall title.     

Holy Cross wins Zahira invitation football title

Holy Cross College won the 4th edition of the Zahira College invitation football tournament by defeating the host school 1 goal to nil in a tense final.

St. Sylvester's pugilists pocket junior nationals

St. Sylvesters College, Kandy emerged junior national boxing champions. Earlier in the year St. Sylvesters captured the prestigious Stubbs Shield. Air Force finished second, ahead of Kingswood College by a solitary point.     

SL U-20 in exciting win over Singapore

Sri Lanka under 20 ruggerites scored an exciting 48 points to 32 win over Singapore in their opening match at the Youth Rugby Asiad now in progress in South Korea.

Lankan women lose to Caribbean counterparts

The first of the five limited over games between hosts Sri Lanka and West Indies ended in a comprehensive win for the latter. Although the West Indies women cricketers were restricted to 167 runs in their allotted overs the Lankan lasses did no better falling short of the target by 40 runs.   

40th test century for Sachin Tendulkar

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar notched up his 40th test century in the ongoing 4th and final test against the Australians. It was the tenth occasion that Sachin had gone past the three-figure mark against the Aussies.

By Lal Gunasekera

China has pulled out from the Asian Division I Rugby Championships starting on November 12 (Wednesday) in Chinese Taipei, leaving only Singapore, Sri Lanka and the host country to battle it out. The Sri Lanka team is scheduled to leave the island tomorrow (Monday).

Meanwhile, the three players from Kandy Sports Club who pulled out from the national side citing injury are to undergo a medical examination to be conducted by Dr. Githanjana Mendis, who heads the Sports Ministry's Medical Unit.

The three players are Anuranga Walpola, Sean Wijesinghe and Pradeep Liyanage. If they are "faking injury", disciplinary action is to be taken against them by SLRFU.

Earlier, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe and Radhika Hettiarachchi decided to pull out from the team as they were not willing to play under Dushan Lewke.

Remembering JRJ

By Hafiz Marikar

November  1 was the   12th death anniversary of the versatile sportsman, sports benefactor, philanthropist and  gentleman - President J.R. Jayewardene.

JR as he was popularly known tasted both victory and defeat as a schoolboy.  He played for Royal in 1925 and was a member of the Royal College team in the Battle of the Blues.  In that encounter although JR was dismissed for a duck he held the match winning catch that brought victory to Royal. He also played cricket for Law College and several other clubs in Colombo.

As a keen ruggerite and cricketer he often visited Kandy to play against Trinity College from 1914 to 1925.  JR's name was extremely popular among the Royalists not because he participated in numerous sports disciplines but for his outstanding performance.

He led the Royal College rugby team in 1924. That year although Royal had a good side they lost to Trininty led by P.A. Bultjens - by 3-37 at Bogambara.

JR was the vice captain of the football team and played as centre half. He was  well known his long range kicks. He was one of the finest long distance goal shooters of that era.  Later he played for clubs in Colombo with the CH&FC being his favourite club.

He was also a fine pugilist and boxed for Royal along with his erstwhile friend the late Dr. Colvin R. de Silva.  For a while he also played tennis.

The late JR was the president of the SSC till his demise. He gave cricket a prominent place and went on to become the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. 

How did Guy de Alwis visit India for WC meeting?

By Lal Gunasekera

How did a member of the Interim Committee for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) visit New Delhi, India for a two-day meeting in connection with the preparations for the 2011 World Cup without the approval of the Sports and Public Recreation Minister?

The Sunday Leader reliably learns that Guy de Alwis left the island on Tuesday (November 4) morning, although the letter to the minister was sent only Tuesday evening requesting the Minister's permission.

Some members of SLC's Interim Committee said that they were not consulted on the decision to send de Alwis to India, and if Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga was unable to attend this particular meeting in New Delhi, either Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Duleep Mendis or Treasurer Sujeewa Rajapakse should have been sent. The latter is already in the Organising Committee for the 2011 World Cup where matches are scheduled to be played in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Some of the issues to be discussed at this meeting in New Delhi pertain to the budget, matters relating to taxes, logistical details, common visas for all four countries, amongst other details.

Sebastian's shot out for 25

Paceman Bhanuka Rajapaksa snapped up four wickets from eight deliveries including a hat trick as Royal College took control over St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa on the opening day of their inter school cricket tournament match which commenced at Reid Avenue on Friday.

 Rajapaksa who came into the attack as the first change bowler struck in his second, third and fourth deliveries to complete a unique hat trick and added another scalp in his second over as the Sebastianites were shot out for just 25 runs in their first innings from 17.2 overs.

 Scores: Royal: 304 for 8 decl (K. Vithanage 142, H. Mowjood 60, A. Rajapaksa 28, P. de Mel 3 for 57, A. Gayashan 2 for 63, A. de Alwis 2 for 51)

St. Sebastian's: 25 (B. Rajapaksa 4 for 0, Y. Abeykoon 4 for 15, L. de Silva 2 for 3) and 43 for 1 (D. Dias 21 n.o)

Petes take U-15 Div. I crown

St. Peter's College completed a fine double as they outplayed St. Anthony's College, Kandy by 102 runs in the Masscom inter school Under 15 division one limited overs cricket tournament final worked off at the CCC grounds, Maitland Crescent on Friday.

Scores: St. Peter's: 198 for 9 in 50 overs (S. Fernando 28, L. Hirantha 24, R. Liyanarachchi 45, H. Seneviratne 24 n.o, K. Ranaraja 3 for 61, T. Hettige 3 for 26, B. Liyanage 2 for 12)

St. Anthony's: 96 in 44.5 overs (T. Jayasinghe 24, S. Fernando 3 for 21, P. Herath 2 for 26, A. Mackie 2 for 17, J. de Silva 2 for 9)

 Nishika restricts De Mazenod

Paceman Nishika de Silva returned excellent figures of five wickets for 47 to help St. Joseph's College dismiss De Mazenod College for 183 runs in their first innings on the opening day of their inter school cricket tournament match which began at Kandana on Friday.

Scores: De Mazenod: 183 (A. Soysa 35, L. Rangika 30, S. Maduranga 30, N. Madushan 24, T. Rajasuriya 3 for 35, C. Kumara 2 for 14, N. de Silva 5 for 47)

St. Joseph's: 85 for 3 (S. Weerasinghe 30 n.o, N. Madushanka 2 for 22)

Indian Shreya Ghei pockets Sri Lanka Ladies Amateur Championship

By Ranil Prematilake

The setting was perfect on the lush green course at the picturesque Victoria Golf & Country Resort, Rajawella for two of the top lady golfers in the region to battle it out for the 121st Sri Lanka Ladies Amateur championship honours. Sheer determination and talent saw young Indian Shreya Ghei prevailing over the much-experienced Suwen Selvaratnam in a close final.

Earlier over the weekend, two qualifying rounds were contested to select the four best players to progress to feature in the semi final round. Shreya Ghei of India, Rasika (caddie turned golfer), Suwen Selvaratnam and Niloo Jayatilake (also a key proponent in organising this event at the Victoria course) all from Sri Lanka made it to the last four.

In the first semi final Shreya Ghei of India had an easy win over Rasika on the 12th hole and in the second semi final Suwen Selvaratnam beat Niloo Jayatilake on the 17th hole after a hard fought match. In the final 15 year old Shreya Ghei of India beat veteran golfer of Sri Lanka Suwen Selvaratnam on the 16th hole.

Sri Lanka Golf Union was instrumental in selecting and recommending the renowned Victoria Golf & Country Resort, Rajawella as the venue for this annual extravaganza which tests the skills of the best at amateur level of the sport.   

Meanwhile the men's event too got underway with favourites Mithun Perera and K. Prabakaran setting the early pace. 

The challenge trophies were awarded to the following:

 Leonard Peiris Cup (best gross 18 holes) Winner - Shreya Ghei (India)

 Firestone Jepson Cup (best net 18 holes) Winner - S. Sandhya

 Pin Fernando trophy (best net 2 round) Winner - S. Sandhya, Runner up - Niloo Jayatilake

 Lilamini Weeraratne trophy Winner - Shreya Ghei, Runner up - Suwen Selvaratnam

 Senior Event Gross - Suwen Selvaratnam

 Senior Event Nett - Linda Harris

 Consolation Cup Winner - Rasika, Runner-up - Rajapakse

 F.B. de Mel Challenge Cup Winner - Manori Jayakody, Runner up - Fran de Mel

 Sri Lanka Ladies Open Amateur Championship  Winner - Shreya Ghei (India), Runner-up - S. Selvaratnam

Janashakthi Sailing Nationals

A total of 35 sailboats in four different classes competed last weekend in the Janashakthi Sailing Nationals sailing from the Ceylon Motor Yacht Club, Bolgoda.  Amidst winds gusting to an estimated 25km per hour, the spectacle was enhanced by the colourful spinnaker sails flown by the largest boats competing in the event, the 14-foot GP-14 won by the current World Youth Champion in this class - 17-year old Devin Goonewardena (Stafford International) with his father Asanka as crew. With each boat sailing six races (one discard), the Goonewardenas scored 1-1-1-1-3 to clinch the series.

Devin's younger brother Dimitri (also Stafford International) came first in the Optimist class, restricted to sailors under the age of 16. Nadine Rozairo (British School) won the single-handed under-19 Laser 4.7 class, while W.P.K. Janaka carrying W.A.R. Nishantha as crew (both from the Sri Lanka Navy), won the Enterprise class.

The winners received their trophies from Abbigail Schaffter, Ravi Liyanage (general manager, sales & marketing) and Tilan Wijeyesekara (head of marketing) Janashakthi Insurance, who sponsor the event annually. As a national event, the regatta was organised by the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka with Lalin Jirasinha serving as Race Officer and with assistance from the Ceylon Motor Yacht Club.

The runners up in the various events were:

Optimist Class: 1st Runner up - Nadine Jayaratne (Colombo International School), 2nd Runner up - Joshua Karpinski (Lyceum International School)

Laser 4.7 (Under 19 ): 1st Runner up -Viren Dias (Colombo International School), 2nd Runner up - Radheeka Jirasinha (Ladies College)

Enterprise Class: 1st Runner up - R.P.I. Pushpakumara & W.P.U.S. Kumara (Sri Lanka Navy), 2nd Runner up -T. Ghanawardene & A.P.K. Soysa (Sri Lanka Navy)