Schools gear up for Zahira Rugby Sevens 2013

Text and Pix By M. Farook Lantra

A much-awaited premier rugby tournament recognised by the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association will kick-off on 3 March at Zahira College Grounds, Maradana, from 8 a.m. onwards.

This glamorous event which has gained popularity among the rugby playing schools in Colombo and the outstations is organised by the Group of Sixties (G60) of Zahira College, through its Sports Committee Chairman M.S. Mazeer. He will be assisted by G60 President Niram Lantra, Tournament Director Tony Amit, Technical Director T.M.l. Hamid and Tournament Coordinator Muhuseen Ariff to orchestrate the tournament.  Leading local schools in rugby and a foreign school are due to participate in the tournament. The participating schools are Vidyartha, Science S. Thomas’ Mt. Lavinia, Prince of Wales, Ananda, Dharmaraja, Carey, Zahira, Nalanda, Mahanama and Kuching – a combined schools team from Malaysia.

Attractive prizes await the winners, in addition to trophies and medals. The cup winners will receive a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and the runners up will get Rs. 25,000 while the plate winners will receive Rs. 15,000 and the runners up Rs. 10,000 along with Rs. 10,000 and Rs.5000 for the winners and runners of the Bowl Championship respectively. The Man of the Tournament will be awarded a trophy as well.

The primary objectives of the event are to promote the schools rugby in the country and support sportsmen to showcase their skills and develop themselves in order to bring out the true potential in them and most importantly building a mutual understanding with fellow participants and thereby sharing the spirit of being united as one. “We also wish to express gratitude to all the participating schools, sponsors and well-wishers who joined us in this amazing journey for the last five years and hope that they will continue the same this year and in the years to come,” said Organising Committee Chairman M.S. Mazeer. The event is co-sponsored by Allied Trading international Ltd., Faiz Brothers Ltd., and P.M. Mohamed Ali & Co. Zahira College is the very first Muslim school in Sri Lanka and was founded in 1892 as Al Madrasathul Zahira by two of the most prominent Sri Lankan Muslims in that era , l.L.M. Atrdul Aziz and Arasi Marikar Wapchie Marikar, with the active patronage of Ahmed Orabi Pasha of Egypt. It is currently the largest Muslim educational institution in Sri Lanka with more than 4,000 students studying there. The college is situated at the heart of the city of Colombo. The college also has one of the oldest mosques in the country on its premises.