Kandy Sports Club yesterday (Tuesday) postponed taking a decision whether to quit contesting the ongoing inter-club league rugby tournament, which has been plagued by the team from Central Province claiming that one of their players has been ‘taken into custody’ by Navy authorities.
Kandy Sports Club Rugby Committee Chairman Lasantha Wijesuriya told The Island that the club had postponed taking a decision, on whether to continue contesting the tournament, till Friday.
"A decision could not be taken on Kandy’s participation in the tournament due the unavailability of the club’s trustee Malilk Samarawickreme for the meeting," Wijesuriya said.
Kandy SC continue to claim that the player concerned, Nuwan Hettiarachchi, was unlawfully ‘taken away’ by the Navy authorities while officials of the sea going force counter that Hettiarachchi has signed a player contract with them for 2011 and hence is their property. Kandy SC’s Wijesuriya said that according to Hettiarachchi, the sign, placed in the documents produced by Navy to show the ownership of the player, has been forged.
Against the backdrop of these happenings, the rugby fraternity has queried why the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU), the custodians of rugby in the country and the organiser of the league tournament, has been silent on the matter.
"We have not been silent on the matter and in fact intervened when the need arose. We (SLRFU) see that it is Kandy SC which has violated the tournament rules by fielding an ineligible player, who has already signed to play for another club (Navy SC). Navy SC has produced documents to us showing that the player concerned is theirs. Navy SC taking the player into custody confirms the player (Hettiarachchi) is owned by them this season," explained SLRFU Secretary Lasitha Guneratne.
Responding to newspaper reports that Kandy SC might pull out of the tournament, Guneratne said: "Kandy SC should inform of such a move to the SLRFU and not to newspapers. Up to now Kandy SC has not informed the SLRFU about a pulling out."
He affirmed that since Kandy SC had violated a tournament rule by fielding an ineligible player, there would be an inquiry against them.
Asked what effect it would have on the inter-club rugby tournament and the game’s main sponsor Caltex in case Kandy SC pulled out of the tournament, Guneratne said; "There would be an effect on the tournament if one of the teams pulls out. But then Kandy SC will have to answer their sponsor in the wake of a pullout. Kandy SC can’t hold the game to ransom," said Guneratne.
It is reported that Navy has successfully obtained an enjoining order to stop Hettiarachchi from representing Kandy SC.
Guneratne said that the SLRFU had informed both Kandy SC and Navy SC not to field Hettiarachchi till the dispute was over.
Meanwhile it is known that the SLRFU authorities have encountered problems in drawing the points-table in the league rugby tournament due to the enjoining order. According to the enjoining order, Kandy SC can’t field Hettiarachchi and the SLRFU has to deduct Kandy SC’s points gained in their match against CH&FC on the grounds that the club fielded the player concerned.
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