Schoolboy Widanage in 7s squad

By Bernie Wijesekera

Kingswood's daring centre Widanage and CH&FC skipper Ajith Upawansa have been selected into the nine-member squad for next week's International Sevens to be held in Bogambara.

Both Widanage and the former St. Anthony's Wattala and Abu Dhabi RFC winger Upawansa earned their inclusions due to their perseverance and determination.

Former Sri Lanka's outstanding sevens player, scrum half Sudath Sampath, makes a welcome return to the side.

There are three scrum halves in the squad. They are: Leonard de Zylva, Sudath Sampath and Niloufer Ibrahim. Niloufer who was sidelined due to injury is now fit.

According to the chairman of the Selection Panel, Tikiri Marambe, it is a quality squad with several fast players. Though the Lankans do not possess big made forwards in the squad, they run hard, and could open up wide gaps in their opponent's defence.

Naka Weerakkody and the speedy winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, a dazzling runner, has been eye catching with their deceptive running.

The team will be led by Kandy's Indrajith Bandaranayake.

The Lanka Sevens squad: I. Bandaranayake (centre - Kandy), Shamly Nawaz (prop - CR&FC), Leonard de Zylva (hooker - Havelocks), Karunaratne (prop - Army), Sudath Sampath (scrum half Havelocks), Nalaka Weerakkody (fly half, Kandy), Sanjeeva Jayasinghe (winger – Havelocks). Standbys: Vidanage (centre – Kingswood), Ajit Upawansa (winger – CH&FC), N. Ibrahim (scrum half – Kandy)

Seeded players win at junior squash

All seeded players won their matches on the opening day of the junior squash nationals conducted by the Sri Lanka Squash Federation at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.

Navin Samarasinghe, the top seed in the boys under 19, beat Dhanika Senarath 9-1, 9-0, 9-2 while Kyle Conrad beat S. T. Kannangara 9-1, 9-3, 9-3. Malinda Sugathapala beat Thilanka Muthukumarana 9-1, 9-2, 9-0 and Sameera Abeysinghe beat N.R. Dunuwilla 7-9, 9-2, 9-0, 9-5 in the same age group.

Buddhika Perera, a former junior national player, making a come back after her A Levels, showed a lot of promise to beat Anjalika Dayaratne 9-1, 9-0, 9-0 . Shelani Gunawardena beat Upuli Perera 9-1, 9-0, 9-0, Ransansi Lankage bt Sashika de Silva 9-1, 9-0, 9-0, Tehani Huruge bt Sauri Wijesinghe 9-4, 9-4, 9-0, Manusha Hettiarachchi bt. Shalini de Alwis 9-0, 9-1, 9-0 and Madhara Dayasiri bt. Peshali Fonseka -0, 9-1, 9-1 in the girls under 19 section.

In other games, Boys under 17: Eranga Amunugama bt Nuwan Guyes 9-1, 9-0, 9-0, Kavin Jayawardena bt M. Soysa 9-5, 9-5, 9-5; Shezan Zahir bt N.R. Dunuwila 9-3, 5-9, 9-2, 9-1, Asitha de Silva bt S.T. Kannangara 9-1, 7-9, 9-4, 9-2, Harin Perera bt Madupa Jayatilleke 9-2, 9-2, 10-9, Kapila de Silva bt Anjelo Stave 9-2, 9-6, 9-5, Kyle Conrad bt S.L. Kannangara 9-1, 9-1, 9-0, Devinda Fernando bt Roger Perera 9-2, 0-9, 9-5, 10-8.

Girls under 17: Madhara Dayasiri bt Naomi Tharanga 9-2, 9-0, 9-0, Nihara Guruge bt Rasandari Ekanayake 9-0, 9-0, 9-0, Manisha Amarasinghe bt Piumi de Silva 9-3, 9-0, 9-0.

Greene and Jones stay on course for Olympic glory

BRUSSELS, saturday (Reuters) - American world sprint champions Maurice Greene and Marion Jones proved they are hitting their best form with the Sydney Olympics just weeks away with impressive 100 metres victories at the Brussels Golden League meeting on Friday.

Greene cruised away from a class field in the men's race to win in 9.88 seconds. The time would have been the fastest in the world this year if the wind at his back had not been above the permitted limit of two metres per second — 2.1.

Compatriot Bernard Williams was second in 10.01 with Trinidad's Ato Boldon third in 10.02.

Jones, close to a rare defeat in Zurich two weeks ago, produced an almost perfect start in the women's 100 and powered clear to finish several strides ahead in 10.83.

Savatheda Fynes of the Bahamas was second in 11.08 and her compatriot Debbie Ferguson third in 11.11.

American Inger Miller was back in fifth (11.17) ahead of sixth-placed Jamaican veteran Merlene Ottey (11.18).

Jones is the only sprinter to have gone faster when she clocked 10.78 in London earlier this month. The time was even more impressive since the sprinters faced a headwind of 1.3 metres per second.

"I am very pleased with the victory. The most important thing is that I feel good, no hindering forces, just smooth sprinting," she said.

The warm but sometimes breezy conditions provided perfect conditions for Jones and Greene to prepare for Sydney where the weather may be similar.

Kenya's Olympic silver medallist Paul Tergat enjoyed the temperatures when he ran the fastest 10,000 metres in the world this year — 27 minutes 3.87 seconds — to the sound of beating African drums.

Brussels, which has a drum band in place to help the rhythm of the racers, has often provided a perfect stage for the distance runners and Tergat set a world record over 10,000 in the stadium three years ago.

The five times cross-country world champion needed a fast time to try to persuade the Kenyan Olympic selectors to pick him for Sydney after he ran only the 5,000 at the national trials.

Tergat produced a brave run, racing through the last nine laps on his own after the rest of the field were unable to match his pace.

"I felt very good because I want to prove that I'm worth representing my country at the Olympics in the 10,000," he said. "I hope this performance will help me convince everybody."

Top seed toppled

By Bruce Maurice

The number one singles seed Langley Mathias was ousted by the second seed D.N. Fernando in the Men's Singles Final of the 15th Federation Cup carom Championships at Reid Avenue Yesterday.

While the Women's Singles title was won by Amitha Wickramsinghe

Results,

women's Consolation Final:

Inoka Atapattu beat L N.R.D Cabraal 25/23.

Women's Singles Final:

Amitha Wickramasinghe beat Rohini Mathias 25/14, 25/16.

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