Rugby remembers Nizar Haji Omar

By a Special Sports Correspondent

Domestic rugby in Sri Lanka kicked off three weeks ago and most of the top clubs are playing cohesive rugby and entertaining appreciative crowds that made it to the grounds. Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR&FC) produced a surprise package in their encounter with Colombo Hockey & Football Club (CH&FC) to record a 27-22 win and keep alive hopes of doing well. The match was played for the Nizar Haji Omar Memorial Trophy and CR & FC did well to win the game and bring respect to the late Omar who was a rugby stalwart this Longden Place club produced.

In an era where the average individual can become a star overnight using social media outlets real heroes like Omar must be remembered and spoken of through our rugby fraternity. He passed away in 2009. Former CR&FC and Royal College player Jehan Canaga Retna writing about Omar in this newspaper, some years ago, rated him as a kind-hearted and respectful player who never lost his cool. Wow! That’s the stuff rugby players must be made of. Today we see more of self-centred players who are committed players alright, but they could learn much about human relations from the generations who played the game before them.

In life we get to see and meet people who have achieved much in a short period of time and also at a very young age. Omar was the youngest President CR & FC produced at age 36 and he was also the youngest SLRFU president; taking the hot seat at age 38. He was to be appointed life member of the SLRFU, but death came in the way. Perhaps nice people, who have to go fast, get the blessings of the Almighty and the nature to achieve their targets at a young age. He had been a successful career man and also a keen traveller and reveller. When this writer reads appreciations about the late Omar it is evident that he made it a point to enjoy life, where ever he was and both on and off the field. In the good old days rugby games were followed by socializing and this built much camaraderie among players; hence we rarely saw players leaving a ‘nest’ which nurtured them. Players were not paid for their availability and commitment. Instead players were willing to sweat to maintain their reputation and names which they worked on like nurturing a child.

This piece about him would not be complete if we didn’t say that Omar represented Sri Lanka at rugby from 1966-74 and captained the national side in 1969. He was also the president of the SLFRU when Sri Lanka won the ‘Bowl’ competition at the famed Hong Kong Sevens in 1984; a feat which has to date not been emulated by any Sri Lankan side. He played for the Red Shirts alongside players like Dushyantha Samarasekare, Bumpy Jayasekera, Sari de Sylva, Eric Roles, Mohan Sahayam, Tony Sirimanne, Regi Bartholameusz, Didacus de Almeda, Kamal Ratnapala and Ajith Abeyratne.

During these Covid days we also lost some rugby players of repute like Chandrishan Perera, Ibrahim Hamid, Gamini Fernando Shyam Sideek, Kamal Jayawardene, Iswan Omar and Vajira Jayatilake and the rugby fraternity misses them while remembering their contributions to the game.

Coming back to the game a young CR&FC side had done well to record a memorable win where the difference in score was an unconverted try. It would have been hard for the CH side to stomach the defeat given that the Maitland Crescent side is buying the best players and also has the influence of elite members of the family clan who are the decision makers of this country.

After major layoff from the game Kandy Sports Club too has returned to the field and maintains its winnings ways. Last week it got the better of Navy Sports Club (35-30) in a close game where the ‘Sailors’ came back fighting in the second half. The Nittawela Club is a hot prospect in the league rugby tournament and it has the player resources in the likes of Bawantha Udangamuwa, Buddhima Piyaratne, Jason Dissanayake, Roshan Weeraratne, Lavanga Perera, Danush Dayan and Skipper Nigel Ratwatte to take them a long way this season. The professional environment they train in make the players committed to the game and raise their game to the next level. In the hills up here in Kandy no king on the hill is assured of his place because there are other hungry ‘wolves’ climbing up the hill and wanting ‘the life of a rugby player’.

Havies, also known as the Park Club, is another team knocking on the door this season to be considered as a winning outfit. It did well to down the ‘Soldiers’ 36-14 and much is expected of this side led by Shenal Deelaka. Air Force Sports Club is also there with much fire power and did remarkably well in their January 29th game against CR & FC where they recorded a handsome 19-11 win. The captain of the side Nuwan Perera, the scrum half, is expected to marshal the side. The other side that can spring some surprises this season is Navy Sports Club which has some dedicated and tough as nails players.

On the financial side of the tournament Sri Lanka Rugby had to start the tournament sans a sponsor because negotiations with Dialog Axiata PLC didn’t reach the stage of inking an agreement and having a working document in terms of a sponsorship deal. The president of SLR Rizly Illyas received the approval of the council members to go ahead with the tournament without a sponsor. All this goes on to prove that the club rugby structure in Sri Lanka is strong and can survive a ‘journey on rough sea’.