Die-hard Fajudeen to play his 100th match

By Shamseer Jaleel

Azmir Fajudeen

Havelocks forward Azmir Fajudeen, who has been loyal to the Park Club for many years, will play his 100th match today in the pink and chocolate jersey when his team moves out to take on defending League rugby champions Kandy SC today at Havelock Park with kick off scheduled for 4 pm.

Fajudeen, the former Royal College hooker is one player who provides leadership and motivation to Havelocks along with former Peterite prop Abdullah Faiz adding power and experience at the breakdown.
Havelocks’ best strength lies in their forwards and Fajudeen has been a key member of the Pack over the years.

Kandy SC go into the match topping the standings in the table with 45 points compared to Havelocks’ 40 points.

Skipper Tharindu Chathuranga continues to lead setting standards and his partnership in the pack with Dahan Wickremarachchi and Thilina Bandara has given Kandy SC a solid platform particularly at the breakdown and in tight exchanges.

They will miss the services of experienced Dilshan Fareed, whose absence places added responsibility on Kenula Hettiarachchi to step up in the hooker’s role. His performance at set-piece time will be crucial against a robust Havelocks pack regarded as the best among the nine clubs. 

The Kandy SC trio of Srinath Sooriyabandara, Dinal Ekanayake and Kavindu Perera will be central to stretching the Park Club’s defences with Diluksha Dange expected to add further thrust in midfield.

Fullback Hirusha Sampath will be tested at Havelock Park, particularly under the high ball and in counter-attack situations.

He did well by converting all kicks at goal and penalties in their encounter against CH and FC at the Race Course ground last weekend.

Havelocks will be eager to defend home turf and stay firmly in the title hunt although they are lagging behind the other top three teams in the running for the Cup.

Led by Janidu Fernando, the Park Club has shown glimpses of their true potential and will be determined to make a match of it when they move out today.

In the backline, Chatura Dilshan and Jayathu Rajarathna offer pace and penetration, while Samuel Maduwantha’s accuracy at goal kicking could be decisive in a tightly contested affair. Sudesh Jayawickrema comes in for Dilshara Kodagoda for today’s game.

Japanese referee Meitetsu Shimizu will officiate as two heavyweight teams look to make a major statement which could be a decider for the top two positions.