- Two Trinitians at the helm of sponsorships and coaching
The Sports Director General (DG) Shemal Fernando has appointed two former national players Rohan Abeykoon and Inthi Marikar, as Directors of Sponsorships and Coaching respectively of the national rugby team, informed sources told The Daily Morning Sports.
The duo's work is set to encompass the Asia Rugby Top 4 series and the holding of the elections for Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), which has undergone a perceived delay since May last year due to legal cases.
A source from the Sports Ministry said that the two former rugby stars will be tasked with coordinating issues related to sponsorships and coaching on matters linked to the national team.
Abeykoon, who is a member of the National Sports Council (NSC) helmed by ex-Sri Lanka skipper Priyantha Ekanayaka, was a dynamic centre who excelled for Trinity, CH and FC and Sri Lanka in both Sevens and XVs. He was also a former head of the national selection committee.
Marikar, a former Trinity, Kandy SC and national Sevens and XVs star and an ace winger in his pomp, was instrumental in bringing down the New Zealand Under-85 kg rugby team to feature in a two-match historic Test series recently.
He has served previously as the national Sevens head coach and as Sri Lanka Rugby’s High Performance Manager.
Sri Lanka is scheduled to face South Korea at Racecourse Grounds, Colombo on 14 June, while they will then tackle Hong Kong away on 22 June, after which they will host UAE at Racecourse Grounds, Colombo on 4 July, as part of the Asia Rugby Top 4 series.
The winner of this championship is set to earn direct qualification to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia while the runner-up will also get an opportunity to contest the African runner-up in a home-and-away playoff.
Meanwhile, it is also reliably learnt that Marikar in his capacity as the Director of Coaching for the national team, is currently exploring the possibility of hiring a foreign coach to train the ‘Tuskers’, ahead of the AR Top 4 Series following the resignation of previous head coach Sanath Martis.
(JK)