Shenal back in Sri Lanka

By Shamseer Jaleel

Former Peterite basketball and rugby football player, Havelocks SC and Sri Lanka sevens sensation Shenal Dias is back in Sri Lanka after his studies in USA. This is indeed good news for the Sri Lanka sevens team lanky second rower, line-out specialist, who is sure to secure the kick-off ball, and will be available for both the Singapore Cricket Club Rugby Sevens and the much more important one in Hong Kong for the Asian Qualification tournament for next year’s RIO Olympics.

Dias represented the Sri Lanka national basketball team while still a schoolboy when the national team competed at the South Asian Games in Bangladesh, a feat matched only by a very few athletes. Shenal played in the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) President’s XV and Sri Lankan team in the Youth Asiad in Hong Kong. 

After donning the Havies jersey at club rugby Shenal was an automatic choice for the sevens squad but due to his higher studies missed out on many tours. Sri Lanka sevens squad for both Singapore and Hong Kong will be announced shortly with the training commencing this week under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Matt Turner. 

Sri Lanka is very likely to send a development squad to Singapore during the last weekend of October. Fazil Marija ended his captaincy, former Thomian and Havies player Sudarshan Muthuthanthri is tipped to take over the leadership of the Sri Lanka Sevens outfit for the Hong Kong tour which will be the last one for the year.