4 January 2018 10:47 am
This is to bring to you notice that I was shocked and dismayed to see the way my name has been dragged into and unnecessarily mentioned repeatedly regarding the incident that happened at the rugby match between CH & FC and Navy SC on December 30, 2017.
I was not even present at the place of the altercation that happened between some of the players from the CH & FC Rugby Team and a few Navy SC players as shown by media reports regarding a video.
As soon as we won the match I was cheering our victory and at that moment the CH & FC Rugby Manager from the bench started yelling and came towards me at the ground yelling in disrespectful language.
It is understood that he could not come to terms with the defeat of his team but a manager should not enter the ground and yell at an opposition player which is a known fact. When he yelled at me all that I told him was that he cannot enter the ground and speak in such a language and to go back to the bench, and I simply walked away.
This is what exactly happened and nothing more as I see that he has concocted another story to put the blame on the Navy SC players.
During a rugby match heated language between players is a normal thing. However, this is not the place for rugby team managers to speak to players in the opposition side in such an ungracious manner.
Regarding the article written by Harsha Amarasinghe in the News Paper making accusation at me I would like to clarify the following:
Many Clubs gave me offers more than
CH & FC, however, I was offered the Rugby Captaincy at Navy SC and the Navy SC has always been like a home to me as they treat their players as family, I made a personal decision to stay with the Navy SC Rugby Team. Loyalty cannot be bought by money and I have great respect towards the Navy SC. This has nothing to do with financial benefits as mentioned by this reporter. As a media personality shouldn’t it be the responsibility of a member of such a reputed newspaper to first talk to both sides and write the truth instead of tarnishing a person’s character. It is irresponsible to state such claim that has no backing or value.
Regarding the claims that I supported CH & FC by sending Navy SC Rugby Players has no standing. Being a captain and having played for the team for many years, it is not in my values and principles to do such things to a team that I am loyal to. If the CH & FC Team won the match on that day, none of this false media reports would have emerged regarding me and my team. All of these false media accusations blaming me and the team are simply because we won the match against CH & FC.
Even with a new team, with few senior players we have managed to still play the game with great pride. Being a Captain it’s not about me, it’s about the people that are in my team and how I can help them to be successful. That’s all I have done this season with the talented players we have in our Navy family. I will not accept such claims and accusations made by the CH & FC blaming me regarding this incident. The video shows exactly what happen and I cannot take the blame for such incidents. I have great respect for all the rugby players and we all are friends at the end of the day. There are no personal grudges against anyone and it is sad to see that outsiders to the incident have ensured that it has fallen to this unhealthy level of sportsmanship between players.