Nalanda, Seethadevi win Blue & Gold Hockey 7s

The Royal College Blue & Gold All-Island Schools Hockey Sevens Boys' Champions Nalanda College Colombo receive their trophy 

The Royal College Blue & Gold All-Island Schools Hockey Sevens Girls' Champions Seethadevi College Kandy  receive their trophy​

 The Royal College Blue & Gold All-Island Schools Hockey Sevens the most outstanding player of the tournament Jeewantha Pasan of Nalanda College Colombo receives the trophy from Chief Guest Singer Sri Lanka Sales Director Kumar Samarasinghe

Nalanda College Colombo and Seethadevi Kandy emerged unbeaten champions at the 13th consecutive Blue and Gold Hockey 7s seven-a-side tournament, organised by the Royal College Hockey Club with the sponsorship of Singer Sri Lanka, on Sunday at the Royal College ground.

Nalanda won the title for the first time and Seethadevi emerged champions for the fifth time in the history of the tournament that started in 1992.

 Nalanda College beat Joseph Vaz in a thrilling final by two goals to one after a scoreless first half while Seethadevi defeated Bishop’s College by four goals to nil. 

Seethadevi had an easy final against the Colombo school from the start. The Kandy lads were superior in dribbling, passing to the target, hitting and stopping. Left inside Shehani Fernando opened the account for Seethadevi in the second minute and again sounded the board in the fifth minute through a penalty corner. 

Four minutes later centre forward Tharaki Paranagama scored another goal to push the score to 3-0 at lemons. In the sixth minute of the second half, Paranagama scored another goal to record a 4-0 victory at the final whistle for the Kandy team, trained by former Sri Lankan national women’s team coach M.A.M. Ashraf. Seethadevi’s Shehani Fernando was adjudged the best player while Sakunthala Ileperuma was named the best goalkeeper in the girls’ category.

 In the boys’ final, Nalanda drew blood in the second minute of the second half with right extreme Manura Hasitha scoring the first goal by netting the ball. But a minute later Ravindu Sheran, the Josepb Vaz centre half, equalised for the Wennappuwa team through a penalty stroke. Just seconds before the final whistle, Nalanda right extreme Chinthana Akalanka scored the winning goal through a penalty corner. Jeewantha Pasan was adjudged Man of The Tournament while Joseph Vaz’ Chamalka Rukshan was given the Best Goalkeeper accolade in the boys’ category.

Nalanda, on its way to the final, defeated hosts Royal and Zahira College, Matale each by a solitary goal in the semi-final and quarter-final respectively, and St. Aloysius through penalties (3-2) in the pre-quarter final. 

Nalanda, which made its way to the final for the first time in the tournament’s history, won against Mahinda Colllege, Galle by 2-0 and defending champions Vijaya College Matale by a solitary goal.

Joseph Vaz reached the final for the first time in 10 years. It recorded a 4-0 win against Dharmathutha College, Badulla in the semi-final after defeating D.S. Senanayake College by 2-0 in the quarter-final and defending champions Vijaya College in the pre-quarter final by 2-1 in the penalties after a two-all draw. The Wennappuwa boys in its round robin matches defeated Isipathana Vidyalaya by 2-0, Richmond College, Galle 5-0 and drew against St. Aloysius College, Galle with a scoreless finish.  

Joseph Vaz had won the trophy in 2005 and become second runner-up in 2004.

Vijaya College Matale failed to qualify for the final of the tournament for the first time in the last five years.

 In the girls’ category, the ladies from Kandy won against Musaeus College and Southlands College Galle in the semi-final and quarter-final each by a solitary goal respectively. It defeated Christ Church Girls’ College by 2-0 and smashed Visakha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela 7-0 in the first round match. Seethadevi qualified for the final for the first time since 2010 though it had won the trophy four times in the past.

Bishop’s College won against Colombo Ladies and Sirimavo Bandaranaike each by solitary goal in the semi-final and quarterfinal respectively after edging down Panadura Balika Viyalaya in the pre-quarterfinal.

Other results: Boys’ – Cup Category: Third place: Boys’ - Cup third place – Royal beat Badulla (3-0), Plate final: Zahira Matale beat Christ Church (3-2 penalty), Plate third place D.S. Senanayake beat STC Matale (1-0),  Bowl final Vijaya College, Matale beat Zahira Colombo (3-0)  

 Other results: Girls– Cup Category: Third place: Cup third place – Musae us beat Ladies Colombo o(1-0), Plate final: Janathipathi beat Southland (2-0),  Plate third place: Vishaka Colombo beat Sirimavo (1-0),  Bowl final: Christ Church Girls, Matale beat Joseph Girls, Kegalle (1-0), Bowl third place: Panadura Balika beat Girls High Schools Kandy  (2-0)

- Pix by Lasantha Kumara