Coaching staff appointed for Asia Rugby Top 4 qualifier

SPORTS Director General Dr. Shemal Perera has appointed the coaching panel for the upcoming encounter against Malaysia in the Asia Rugby Top 4 qualification match which will take place at the Race Course ground on 19 April.

- BY SHAMSEER JALEEL

The winner of this one-off encounter will play alongside Hong Kong, South Korea and UAE in AR Top 4 for 2025.

While Head Coach Martis takes over CR, Head Coach Dushanth Lewke will be continuing as Forwards Coach, and Saliya Kumara stepping in as the Three-Quarters Coach.

Saliya takes over from Nilfer Ibrahim who had a mixed season with the Cops. Tharaka Algama, a former Trinity College standout, has been appointed as the Team Trainer. Martis, Lewke and Nilfer teamed up to guide the national outfit last year with wins over India and Kazakhstan to secure AR Division 1 championship. Sanath Martis commenced his national coaching journey as an Assistant Coach in 2003 under the guidance of George Simpkin and C P P Abeygunawardena for the Sri Lanka Under-20 team, a role he held until 2004. Martis who played for Isipathana and CR, took over as the Sri Lanka Under-20 Head Coach from 2006 to 2012, guiding the young talents of the country with remarkable success. In 2013, he served as Assistant Coach for the senior national team under Phil Greening.