- Says selections will be purely merit-based
Ex-Sri Lanka centre and Colonel Kapila Knowlton was named as the chair of the new five-member rugby selection panel for the term 2025-26 by Sports Minister Sunil Kumara yesterday (1), a press release issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said.
Knowkton who represented Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2013 in both fifteens and sevens as a captain of the SL Army, was a dynamic outside back in his prime.
He turned out for Army Sports Club from 1997 having also been a former skipper for the forces team, till his retirement from the oval shaped ball game over a decade back.
When sought for his views on his new appointment, the former alumni of Mahanama College, stressed that they will do their best to pick players on merit at all times of a year which he described as ‘hectic’ for Sri Lanka both at home and overseas.
“We have a number of events lined up both at home and abroad in Sevens and XVs rugby,” Knowlton told The Daily Morning Sports.
“We will do our best to make the selections purely on merit as there are several deserving youngsters who are constantly knocking on the door for national honours. Such players need to be looked at closely and it will be our responsibility to clear the path for them to go places.”
Besides Knowlton, the other members of the panel are Rukshani Ariyasena, M.J.M. Mushtaq, Dimithri Jude and Duminda de Silva, respectively.
Ariyasena, is Sri Lanka’s very first women’s rugby captain having also played for SL army from 2002-20 besides being the assistant coach of Army’s Women’s Rugby team, while continuing to be a match commissioner.
Mohamed Mushtaq, an old boy of Zahira College, Colombo was a winger and he represented Sri Lanka in both forms of the game while having turned out for CR and FC from 1997-2006.
Dimthri Jude, an old boy of St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota also played for Sri Lanka in both XVs and Sevens formats, having plied his trade as a centre for CH and FC and Kandy SC, respectively.
Duminda de Silva, a lock from Trinity College, Kandy represented Sri Lanka in both XVs and Sevens versions while turning out for Kandy SC.
He also had the rare feat of being the first and only player in history to win the League title for three clubs (KSC-93, CR and FC-98 and CH and FC-2000).
De Silva, a dual international having excelled in both rugby and basketball besides being a former Mr. Sri Lanka contest winner, is also the only member to be retained by the Minister from the outgoing rugby selection committee headed by Sudath Sampath.