Trinity and Royal to meet in annual hockey encounter

By Shamseer Jaleel

The annual hockey encounter between Royal and Trinity for 2018 will be played tomorrow at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy at 4.00 p.m.

The last time these two schools played was in 2016 with the 2017 encounter being cancelled. The Under 15 game will be at 2.00 p.m. The Old Boys game will be at 3.00 p.m. 

The Chief Guest for this event, the present Trinity College Vice Principal Rev. J.D. Shaw Wilson, is all out to give sports a big hand. He is no stranger to Trinity. He taught at Trinity in the 1980s and was a boarding house master, cricket coach and curator of the Asgiriya Cricket Grounds which became a Test venue later on in 1983 when Sri Lanka played against Australia in the first encounter.

A no-nonsense man and strict disciplinarian, he helped the Trinitians break the 35-year-old hoodoo against St. Anthony’s in 1986 when they won by seven wickets. Shaw Wilson was the Head Coach of the 1986 outfit.

Wilson was a sportsman, having captained Royal College, Colombo in cricket. He represented Oxford University and went on to play cricket in Kent and Middlesex counties. He is an eminently qualified academic. He was a research student at Oxford University and obtained a Master’s degree from the University of London. In addition, he has obtained a Master’s degree from Princeton University in the US.

The Under-15 encounter between the two schools will be played for the Paul Jeyaraj Trophy. Jeyraj was a former Trinity hockey coach and MIC for over 30 years from 1958 to 1988 and former Vice Principal of Trinity. The senior game for the Under 19 segment is played for J.C.A. Corea Memorial Trophy who was a former Royal Principal from 1946 to 1953. Meanwhile, the Old Boys encounter is played for the late Col. Berty Dias Trophy. Dias was a top-class rugby coach at Trinity.

Royal Under-19

Uchitha Wasudeva (Captain), Induwara Ranathunga (Vice Capt.), Keshara De Alwis, Rashmidu Bandara, Thenuka De Zoysa, Ravindu Ranasinghe, Santhush Silva, Sachithra Seshan, Vinsara Jayalath, Senuda Weliwatta, Sharala Goonetilleke, Chirayu Wijekoon, Karim Ishak, Lithira Almeida, Hejitha Almeida and Savinu Ranasinghe

M.S.H. Kuthubdeen (Assistant Coach), Abdullah Shabir (Secretary), M.A.M. Riyaz (SGM), S.K.A. Gamage (TIC), Vidura De Alwis (Secretary) and Rohan Dissanayake (Coach)

Royal Under-15

Thisuka Perera (Captain), Saneth Wasudeva (Vice Captain), Gavina Wijesundara, Annston Annesley, Shamil Akbar, Yasith Silva, Aakash Wijesekara, Riveesha Marambage, Hari Prasanna, Methjaya, Rumeth Jayasinghe, Inupa Ranathunge, Himsara Caldera, Lakshitha Perera, Harris Brenavan, Thaviru Alhakoon, Subath Gamage, Tharind De Silva, Mohommed Hishan, Hari Pershanth, Harris Arumugam

S.H. Kuthubdeen (Assistant Coach), S.K.A. Gamage (TIC), Rohan Dissanayake (Coach) and G.M.S.C Gajanayake (Assistant Coach)