Sri Lanka win International Masters Hockey Cup

Hockey

The Sri Lanka Maroons veteran team with the International Masters Cup. Back row (From left): Thilina Perera, Duncan Devendra (Secretary, SLMHA), Nadith Kudagama (Captain), Ashok Peiris (Coach), Dennis de Rozairo (Former President, Mercantile Hockey Association – Guest of Honour), Pirasanth Sivagnanam, (MD, Cargills Convenient Foods Ltd - Chief Guest), Fouzul Hameed (President, SLMHA), Ananda Silva (Manager), Ishanka Jayasundera. Middle row (From left): Antony Kumar, Shihar Aneez, Damith Panditharatne, Maithri Ranasinghe, Sameera Wijekoon, Anju Hewage, Sameera Perera, Pramesh Cramer, Sandun Gajanayake. Front row (From left): Sanjay Uduwara, Harendra Dharmarathna, Asanka Welagedara, Narada Perera and Rasiah Janagan 

The Sri Lanka Masters’ hockey team led by former national striker Nadith Kudagama emerged unbeaten champions by defeating Dubai Hockey Club 4-0 in the first-ever Cargills International Masters Hockey Cup at Colombo Astro Turf.

The unbeaten Sri Lanka Maroons team aggressively attacked from the start of the final in the three-day tournament. 

The host team scored its first goal through a penalty corner in the second minute of the game through former Army forward Asanka Welagedara. 

Later, his ex-Army colleague Harendra Dharmarathna scored the second goal in the eighth minute of the game, also off a penalty corner. 

Sri Lankan veterans team consisting mostly former national hockey players, led the final 2-0 at lemons. 

The Dubai Hockey Club consisting of expatriate players had three scoring opportunities including from the solitary penalty corner they were awarded in the second half, though it was dominated by Sri Lankan veterans. 

In the second half, Welagedara increased the host team’s lead to 3-0 in the fourth minute through a field goal. Two minutes later, former Sri Lanka Skipper and ex-Army player Ishanka Jayasundera sealed the historic 4-0 victory for the hosts. 

Harendra Dharmarathna was selected Player of the Final for his impressive stick work and excellent penalty corner goal. 

The 13-game tournament completely played under the newly fixed lights saw six veteran teams participating including two from the United Arab Emirates, one from India, one from Oman, and two from the host nation. 

Sri Lanka Maroons outclassed against all its opponents. The team, coached by former ex-national Ashok Peiris and Managed by Ananda Silva, won against the Oman team in the opener 4-0 but later had a scoreless draw with the same team. 

They won against the second UAE team, Dubai Hockey Club ‘B’ team 4-0 in both games they played. 

Dubai Hockey Club ‘A’ team won against Indian team 1-0 before having a scoreless draw with the same team while defeated Sri Lanka Golds team 2-1 in the second day before having a 1-1 draw with the same team on the last day. 

The tournament saw over 120 international players with 80 foreign players amid an attempt to start positioning Sri Lanka as a vibrant sport tourism destination. 

The inaugural International Masters Hockey Cup was organised by Sri Lanka Masters Hockey Association (SLMHA) with Cargills partnering as the main sponsor while Hameedia and UTN London were the co-sponsors. 

The landmark tournament, which was the first international hockey event since 2016 in Sri Lanka, marked a new chapter in Sri Lanka’s sporting history, bringing together four international teams. 
The event showcased top-tier Masters-level hockey and ignited renewed enthusiasm for the sport among the younger generation. 

The SLMHA also organised a Schools’ Hockey Carnival with the participation of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, Ananda College, Colombo and St. Benedict’s College under the Boys’ category along with Musaeus College and Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya in the Girls’ category. 

(BM)