மத்திய மற்றும் தெற்காசிய பிராந்திய ரக்பி வரலாற்றில் புதியதொரு பக்கத்தை திருப்பி, உஸ்பெகிஸ்தான் நாட்டின் தஷ்கண்ட் நகரில் நிறைவடைந்த முதலாவது மத்திய ஆசியா - தெற்காசியா (CASA) செவன்ஸ் ரக்பி தொடரின் ஆடவர் மற்றும் மகளிர் ஆகிய இரு பிரிவுகளிலும் வரலாற்றுச் சிறப்புமிக்க இரட்டை சாம்பியன்…
Turning a new page in the history of Central and South Asian regional rugby, the Sri Lankan national rugby teams (The Tuskers), who brought pride to the motherland by winning the historic Double Championship titles in both the men’s and women’s categories of the first Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) Sevens Rugby Series that concluded in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake this morning (19). Throughout the series, which was held in Uzbekistan on the 16th and 17th of May, both teams representing Sri Lanka displayed incredible skills and maintained an unbeaten dominance. The Sri Lankan players faced a strong Indian team in the final match for the men’s section, which was held amidst great expectations of a huge winning streak by defeating their opponents in the final matches. The Sri Lankan men's team, which controlled the game from the beginning of the match, defeated India by a huge margin of 31-10 points and recorded the first men's championship trophy in the history of the CASA Sevens series. The Indian team finished second in the series (Runners-up). Similarly, the Sri Lankan players showed an incredible performance against the strong Kazakhstan team in the final of the women's section. The Sri Lankan women's team completely crushed the opponent with a score of 27-0, without allowing the Kazakhstan team to score a single point (Clean Sheet), and captured the women's gold crown. Sri Lankan teams that led the victory The details of the players who represented the motherland and contributed to this historic victory are as follows: Men's team: Led by experienced senior player Srinath Suriyabandara and vice-captained by Janidu Dilshan. Other players in the team included Chathuraya Soysa, Akash Madushanka, Kavindu Perera and Kavindu da Costa who performed well for the country. Women's Team: Under the excellent leadership of Sarani Liyanage and the vice-captaincy of Sanjeevani Wijethilaka, players including Hekashani Krishnakumari, Thilini Kanchana and Kaweesha Ishani Perera displayed excellent skills throughout the series. Official and enthusiastic welcome in Katunayake A special welcome event was organized at the VIP Lounge of the Katunayake Airport to welcome the victorious players who returned home with great pride for the nation. Sri Lanka Rugby Union (SLR) President Pavithra Fernando and Private Secretary Darshana Waragoda, on behalf of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, were present to officially welcome the winning teams. Along with them, senior officers of the Sri Lanka Army and Air Force representing the players, parents, friends and a large number of rugby fans arrived at the airport. The dignitaries and officials who were present garlanded the rugby champions and welcomed them enthusiastically with the trophies, and expressed their congratulations and respect to the players on behalf of the entire Sri Lankan people for bringing international glory to the country in these difficult circumstances.