Sri Lanka hockey legends vie for inaugural Signature Masters Cup 2017

Sri Lanka’s living hockey legends will take part in their first-ever masters tournament on Saturday in the inaugural nine-a-side league at the Astro Turf hockey complex in Colombo 7. 

Organised by the Sri Lanka Masters National Hockey Association, the one-day ‘SIGNATURE’ Masters Hockey League will feature over 100 legends, some playing for the first time since they retired in the 1980s. The former national caps who had played in various international tournaments, including the Asia Cup hockey games since the early 1980s, have gathered to render their services to the sport in which Sri Lanka’s standards in the international arena have somewhat gradually deteriorated. 

The teams are led by veterans including four ex-national captains from the eighties and nineties. 

Sarath Wimalasinghe (61), the Sri Lankan national hockey captain in 1982-83, will lead the Matale Panthers, while M.J.M. Naleem (53), who led the national team in 1994, will be the skipper for the strong Colombo Wolves which includes the most number of former national players. 

Sri Lanka’s 1995 national captain and Dharshana Wijesignhe (51) will lead the Kandy Lions and 1996 captain Indrawansa Herath (53) is named as the skipper of the Matale Vipers team. 

The other teams to participate in the tournament will be the Colombo Dragons, Uva Rhinos, Colombo Tuskers and Merc Spiders. Each team will be powered by an individual company. The prestigious Signature Cup tournament is sponsored by the Signature brand of Hameedia, a household name for men’s ready-made garments in Sri Lanka. 

The teams will play league games under two groups initially. Each team will play three games and the two group champions will play for the cup, while the other six teams will play in the plate, bowl and shield finals depending on their standing after the group matches.

The number of the teams is limited to eight to ensure quality hockey throughout the day. The Sri Lanka Masters National Hockey Association plans to conduct the tournament annually and distinguish it as a much-awaited event of the year on the hockey calendar. The first tournament has been organised in a highly professional manner.

Teams: 

Colombo Wolves (powered by Land Rower): M.G.M. Naleem (captain), Ishak Shahabdeen, Dhammika Wijesundra, Kuthubdeen, Amila Perera, Leanus Jayasekara, Nadith Kudagama, Duncan Devendra, Charith Senanayaka, Asanka Wijekoon, Keerthi Kumara, Collin Devapriya, M. Rifaz, Suresh Ediriweera, Fazal Jainudeen and M. F. Mulafar, Athula Wijekoon

Merc Spiders (powered by PCL Solutions): Christo Tissera (Captain), B.L.V.S. Perera, Thilak Fernando, Manjula Wijemanne, Nandana Wijesundera, Ajith Ranatunge, Sumith Jayasena, Shammika Meegahapola, Suresh Kumar, Lasantha Perera, Lushantha Perera, Marion De Alwis and Mohamed Hanaz

Uva Rhinos (powered by Foundation of Goodness): Fazeer Laheer (Captain), M.F. Laheer, Pala Wijesekara, Manzer Jahn, A. Dharmasiriwardhana, Shihar Aneez, Godwin Solomons, C.K. Gunapala, K. Keerthi, Pradeep Rajapaksha, Damika Abeyrathne, Sameera Perera and Lucky Abeygunawardena 

Matale Panthers (powered by Roza): Sarath Wimalasinghe (Captain), M. Jainudeen, Mangala Karunarathne, G. Ekanayake, M. Azmi, Indika Hewawasam, D. Lalantha, Mohamed Isham, Indika Jayawardhana, M. Haneef, D.B. Dissanayaka, S. Gajanayaka and Tissa Jayasinghe

Matale Vipers (powered by Bairaha): T.M. Indrawansa Herath (Captain), Milton Gunawardana, M. Zaneer, M. Maheer, Ajith Manjula, Palitha Wasalage, Anura Karunarathne, D.C. Perera, Damitha Silva, Marlon Jakob, M. Naushad, Harsha Wijekoon and Mohomed Rizan

Colombo Dragons (powered by Hameedia): Ashok Peiris (Captain), A. Beringer, M. Hallaj, U. Karanin, Ananda Silva, I. Wilwalaarachchi, Chamil Kumara, Mario Joseph, C. Mariyanayagam, Manuja Gunawardhana, S. Jayasinghe, A. Panditharathne and S. Ganegoda

Colombo Tuskers (powered by MFA Cargo) - Murad Amirdeen (Captain), Malik Zahir, N. Tennakoon, Sathish Dharmasekhara, Amitha Abeynayake, Imran Grouse, M. B. Kulatunga, Shehan Omerdeen, Praveen Chanaka, Suren Wijerathne, N. W. Philip, C. Chathura, Kasun Herath, Suren Wijerathne

Kandy Lions (powered by HP/EZY) - Dharshana Wijesinghe (captain), M. Nazeen, Gamini Jayasinghe, R. Lankeshwara, D. Dharmarathne, Herath Bandara, R. Heenatigala,