Australian, Sri Lankan veterans meet in friendly hockey match today

The veterans of COSMOS Hockey Club, Melbourne will play against Sri Lanka’s over 50 masters’ hockey team comprising mostly former national players in a friendly game at astro turf on Saturday at 3 p.m. 

The move comes as the former national hockey players of both Australia and Sri Lanka have been getting organised to repeat their glorious days in the game, but as veterans. The visiting team is coached by Julian Maugey, who has played hockey in Calcutta at elite level and represented many illustrious Calcutta Hockey clubs. He is the Chairman of the touring COSMOS Hockey club and is the driving force organising and coordinating the tour. Fouzul Hameed, the President of Sri Lanka Masters Hockey National Association accompanied by its Secretary Ratnasiri Mahagalaeklla and Assistant Secretary Duncan Devandra will grace the occasion. 

After the Saturday match, the COSMOS will play against Veterans Malays CC on 3 November at 4:30 p.m. at the same venue.

The team is led by Ian Jennings, an Indian player who later moved to Australia at state league level and he is deputised by Mohan Salvaratnam, a Sri Lankan-born old Wesley hockey player, who later played for Greater Dandenong Warriors Hockey Club in Melbourne after migrating. The team also include players like Michele Lombardo, Peter Lombardo, Grenville Dawson, Ian Freeman, Eugene Rebeiro, Deryck Claudius, Kevin Redden, and Douglas David

Sri Lanka veterans: Otto Preena (captain), Ashok Peiris, Ananda Silva, H.M. Kuthubdeen, Ishak Shabdeen, H.M. Hallaj, Uvais Karnain, Dhammika Wijesundara, Fazeer Laheer, F. Laheer (senior), Manzer Jahn, Indrawansa Herath, Collin Marianayagam, Thushara Jayasinghe, Marlon Jecobs, D. Lalantha (Goal Keeper).