‘‘Selectors need to be at matches’’- coach Randeniya
The cager-turned-coach during his playing days
Ex-Sri Lankan basketball captain Roshan Randeniya wants the national selectors to be present and tap talent when national level prospects are in action.
He said those responsible in filtering the cream of the crop, definitely need to come for the matches and take a look at the next generation.
“When a U-20 school’s final is on, all selectors need to be at one place. The player’s next step is the senior most team. If they’re not retained in the system, especially the girls’ give up the sport,” he said speaking to the Sunday Times yesterday, only a few days after two schools he coaches won the Under-20 All-Island Schools Basketball Champions.
The two popular Colombo schools – St. Joseph’s, Maradana and Holy Family Convent (HFC), Bambalapitiya – were crowned champions in their respective genders in the ‘A’ division finals at the Sugathadasa indoor complex on Thursday.
These two schools have been his charges for a long period now. Joes has been under him for little over two decades (2001), while the girls’ from Bambalapitya have been coached by him since 2009.
“With the Joes, both of us committed us entirely,” he said.
Randeniya praised his deputy Shane Daniel profusely for showing great level of commitment and involving wholeheartedly with the familians’, captained by Onella Dunuwilla
“Shehan showcased impressive commitment and dedicated plenty of time,” Randeniya said of his deputy.
Royalists were coming in for a second-straight win after stunning their arch-rivals St. Thomas’ College. This was after they won their traditional Royal-Thomian basketball encounter by only a point.
Runners-up from the Reid Avenue had been consistent this season in reaching another final. However, this time, the Darley road boys skippered by Shehan Fernando, comfortably and convincingly played a spoilsport denying them from a double-delight.
Walking through how guiding and directing both the teams worked on that successful Thursday, he explained, “Mahamaya College of course had reached the finals after twenty years as an outside school. Both of us (coaches) got together and developed the same for each match and that applies for each match”
“If we don’t know their offensive and defensive, we’ll struggle at the match,” he said.
Preparing the boys of blue, white and blue, he elaborated, “We focused mainly on how they can mark and guard their opponents’ offensive players. In Royal’s semis, we marked key players capable of turning out to be match-winning players. The dominant players, who can take the game away. In the same match, we closely analysed and read their offensive and defence. Even during our practise sessions, we trained by applying that to our tactics,” said Randeniya, having played as a point guard.
Armed well with experience coaching at schools-level, responding to the Sunday Times on whether doesn’t he desire to become the coach of the national side, he said he is all set for it.
“It is all decided by Sri Lanka Basketball Coaches Association. Be it to coach a youth team (for an example) or the national team, we’re yet to get such opportunities,” the cager-turned-coach said.
He said they face the process and procedure, but ultimately it goes to another hand’s due to unethical reasons. Also those following the voting system only tend to get benefited.
He stressed, if the players are identified, they have a long-way to go forward. Talent tapping and guiding is lacking but if executed, we’ll unearth an abundance of talents.
In the end, Joes beat Royalists 68-52, while HFC defended their title 70-39 versus Mahamaya, Kandy.