Uva Rhinos win inaugural Signature Masters Hockey League

Uva Rhinos, led by 1990 Sri Lankan Vice Captain and Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Fazeer Laheer, won the inaugural Signature Masters Hockey League 2017 held over the weekend at the Astro Turf.

The team, powered by Goodness of Hope and made up of several hockey legends, won against a strong Colombo Dragons through a solitary goal in the second half after things were scoreless at halftime. 

C.K. Gunapala, the Uva Rhino’s fullback and ex-national player who represented Sri Lanka from 1997 to 2002, scored the winning goal off a penalty corner in the 12th minute of the game. 

The first ever Sri Lanka Masters Signature Hockey League featuring the legends, sometimes playing for the first time since they retired in 1980s, was organised by the Sri Lanka Masters National Hockey Association. 

The former national caps, who had played in various international tournaments including Asia Cup Hockey games since early the 1980s, have gathered to render their service to the sport in which Sri Lanka’s standards in the international arena have somewhat gradually deteriorated. 

In the group matches, champions Uva in Group ‘A’ beat Colombo Wolves by 3-0 (Godwin Solomons - 2, Gunapala - 1), drew against both the Matale Vipers with a 1-1 scoreline (goal scorers: M. Maheer for Vipers, D. Abeyratne for Rhinos) and Merc Spiders (0-0) before facing the finals against the formidable Group ‘B’ top team Colombo Dragons. Uva Rhinos were sponsored by Foundation of Goodness.

In the Plate championship the Kandy Lions beat Merc Spiders 1-0. Saman Wandalen broke the Merc Spiders defence to score the solitary goal in the second half of the game.

The Colombo Tuskers trounced the Matale Vipers to claim the Bowl championship. Praveen Chanaka scooped the ball over the goalkeeper to record the solitary goal for the Colombo Tuskers.

In the Shield finals, the Matale Panthers beat the Colombo Wolves 2-1. The match was keenly contested and for the winners the goals were scored by Indika Hewasam and D. Dissanayake. The solitary goal for the Colombo Wolves was scored by M. Mulafer.