When Kandy rugby legend Fazil Marija signed off with a hat-trick
It was a full house as usual at Nittawela with over 6,000 fans taking their seats as early as 3.00pm on a steamy Sunday in the Central Hills not only waiting to see Kandy Sports Club take the league once more but also for the last game of a legend of Sri Lanka rugby Fazil Marija, who contributed immensely for the Upcountry outfit.
He was an icon and had an immense following from young to old. They liked him as a player because he was down to earth in his life as well.
A new stand was opened at Nittawela in Marija’s name for his unstinted contribution to Kandy SC for 14 years without a break. A deserving reward for a player who never crossed over for financial benefits. He was chased behind by many Colombo clubs but he kept faith and was loyal to Kandy SC throughout his club career.
Fazil is a true legend of not only Sri Lanka rugby but also in Asia as well achieving the rare honour of being selected to play for the Asian Barbarians. After leading his school at almost every level, he led Kingswood College in his last year to become triple champions (Schools League, Knockout and 7s). As a schoolboy he was selected to played for the national team in their only Test match against Hong Kong at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium making his Sri Lanka debut at the age of 19.
He went on to lead Kandy SC and the national team in both 7s and 15s. He was outstanding in the 7s, where he took the Sri Lankan outfit to No.3 at the Asian Sevens Series which is the best performance to date.
The League match against Havelocks in 2018 at Nittawela will go down in history as Marija’s game as he scored a hat-trick of tries to secure Kandy a nail-biting 30-28 victory. Although Kandy SC had clinched the league title having a clear lead of 26 points going into this match, they did not want to end up on the losing side because it was the final game for a legend on their home ground.
True to form, Kandy stamped their class romping to a 22-0 lead at the interval with a try from skipper GayanWeeraratne and a magnificent double from the man of the moment Marija himself, while Nigel Ratwatte added a penalty.
But things changed soon after the turn around as the Park Club caught the home side taking a quick afternoon nap perhaps relaxing since they enjoyed a 22-0 cushion, to bounce back in to the game. Tries from Sudam Sooriyarachchi and Lasindu Ishan plus the ever reliable Reza Mubarak’s kicks at goal saw them reduce the deficit to 14-25.
One more try by Liston Flatney and a second Lasindu Ishan saw the Park Club lead 28-25. But Fazil Marija was not to be denied a dream farewell, producing a magical effort to complete a hat-trick of tries and seal a memorable 30-28 victory.
“I lost my father when I was very young. My mother brought up me and my brother by working very hard. I had lot of support from my family members since they were all playing for Kingswood and Kandy. Amjad Buksh, Anju Buksh and all Ibrahim brothers, Nilfer in particular. I was very fortunate to play for Sri Lanka while at school in 2003. I got a surprise call for the national team against Hong Kong at Nittawela. I played for 15 years for the club I loved. My last game at Nittawela was a close one. I scored three tries with the winning one as well. We won the League title and then went on to win the Clifford Cup in Colombo after which I hung up my boots,” recalled Marija.