Winning Royal team Squatting from left: Ronal Edirimanne, Pasindu Epa, Kumuthulu Goonathilake, Navindu Liyanage, Savain Karunasiri, Hirun Lindula, and Sulaiman Shihar Standing from left: Ruvi Perera, Akash Dashendra, Geesath Bathisa, Vice Captain Lithum Karunasiri, Advisory Member Sasanka Gunuwardana, Teacher in Charge G.S.Prabath Gallage, Coach Damith Panditharatne Captain Aathif Faleel, Yusuf Shihar, Haazim Dhailamy, Rumal Jayasinghe, Kithmina Rathnayake, and Stefan Antonypillai
Royal College, Colombo won the Western Province Hockey Championship after they beat defending champions St. Joseph’s College, Colombo in a penalty stroke thriller after the final round ended in a 1-1 draw.
The tournament was held at the Colombo International Astro Turf ground during June 19-23 and organised by the Ministry of Education of the Western Province.
The undefeated Royal controlled the game with some international standard passes and dribbling, though the team struggled to finish with more goals amid strong resistance from Joseph’s defenders.
Royal Centre Forward Kithmina Rathnayake made the difference at the 9th minute of the game when he scored a rebound from a penalty corner.
However, St. Joseph’s College rebounded in the final 10 minutes of the game with their skipper Mark Ruiz scoring a spectacular goal sneakily when Royal defenders failed to mark him near the goal post.
The Joseph’sians had a golden opportunity with the final minute penalty corner, but they could not execute their plan under pressure.
After the final whistle, the winner was decided through penalties. The five-penalty stroke series also ended in a 3-3 draw before the winner was determined through sudden death single series penalty stroke.
Royals left extreme Rumal Jayasinghe made no mistake in his single series penalty stroke while Royal goalkeeper Stefan Anthonypillai saved the single series off junior national player and Joseph’s vice captain Raghavan Gokul.
With this win, the Royalists have won their second title for this year within one month after winning All Island champions in May.
Royal were the runners-up at the same tournament last year, losing to Joseph’s College in penalties after a scoreless draw.
The Colombo boys consistently performed from the first game despite some poor umpiring decisions due to constraints of having best umpires in the country available for the tournament.
They beat Bandaranaike College Gampaha by 6-0 in their first game, young skilled Isipathana by 3-0 in the quarter final, and Prince of Wales. College Moratuwa by 3-1 in the semifinal.
St. Joseph’s College won their first match against Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya by 6-0, St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya by 4-0 in the quarter final, and St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena by 2-0 in the semifinal.
Prince of Wales College won the consolation final for third place by 2-0 against St. Benedict’s.