The teams which took part were, MillenniumIT (MIT), HSBC, HDPL, Philip Weerasinghe Associates (PWA), Murad Ismail – ChannaDaswatta Associates (MICDA), Young Architects Forum (YAF), SurathWickramasinghe Associates (SWA), Dialog, British Council, Hayleys, DHL and Virtusa.

The tournament was organized to show case the ergonomics and versatility of this unique chair and to highlight its exceptional functionality while brand targeting its direct and indirect customer base amongst the top corporate and design firms in Sri Lanka.

Aeron Hockey is an evolution of “office hockey” played with a puck and makeshift stick. Played in a purpose-built indoor court, it comprised five players a side. Armed with hockey sticks bearing close resemblance to the ones used in ice hockey, the teams competed for the lead while seated on iconic Herman Miller Aeron chairs.

The Central Province started the game on a winning note when veteran centre forward and former National Captain Dhammika Abeyratne slammed two goals in quick succession to boost the morale of the team. A penalty corner midway saw Tilina Perera made good use of it to score, which reduced the lead to 1-2

But many attempts to score by Western Province was thwarted by central Province goal keeper I. E. K. R. Willawarachchi who brought of many saves to bag the Best Player award. The Best Players award in the ladies tournament went to Madura Dharmaratne of Central Province.

North Western Province won the consolation championship beating Uva Province 3-1 after leading 2/1 at half time. K. K. U. D. Fernando (1), W. V. D. Fernando (1), and B. A. D. R. S. Nimanka (1), scored for North Western Province. E. G. P. S. Premaratne scored for Uva Province.

CP bag women’s title

Central Province ladies hockey team trounce Western Province team by 7 goals to nil to clinch the women hockey title for the 25 time at the 41 National Sports Festival. At lemon Central Province ladies led 3-nil. Central Province scored 31 goals in 3 matches averaging over 10 goals per match.

They did not concede a single goal as their custodian Jeewanthika Keerthi also was outstanding not allowing anything get past.

The central Province team beat Eastern Province 14-0 in the opener and followed up with a 10-0 win over Northern Province in the semi finals.

Central Province skipper Pradeeepa Nilmini Nadasena led her side from the front using her forwards to break the opponents’ defence with centre forwards Yamuna Wijesuriya and Chathurika Wijesuriya doing the spade work. Right back Geethani Abeyratne too displayed her class by spoiling the moves of their opponents.

Left extreme Thusanthika Themiyadasa kept the score board moving when a push by Pradeepa Nilmini was well collected by her to sound the boards. Another back to boack goal by Thusanthika helped to increase the lead to 2-0.

Centre half Madura Dharmaratne scored the third goal for Central Province to lead 3-0 at the breather.

Soon after resumption the Central Province team with the inclusion of back Geethani was rabbing salt into the wounds of their opponents. They scored twice through some brilliant stick work by National skipper and centre forward Madhushani Jayanthi to increase the lead to 5-0.

During the dying stages of the game centre forward Chathurika Premasiri put the icing on the cake scoring two more goals to assure their victory. Earlier in the semi finals central Province Thrashed Northern Province by 10 goals to nil.

Two cousins playing as centre forward Chathurika Wijesuriay and Yamuna Wijesuriya struck a brilliant note to score three goals each. The others to sound the boards were Madura Dharamartne (1), Anandi Rajapakse (1), and Madhushani Jayanethi (2) who is also the highest scorer of goals in the tournament and celebrated her engagement with this achievement.

Right extra Liyal Tillakawardana and left extreme Vishaya Perera scored a goal each for Musaeus College. For the loser centre forward Sandamika Chathurangi scored the solitary goal.

Maithri Dissanayake and Y.C. Witharana umpired.

These two schools along with Panadura Balika Vidyalaya and Gothami Balika Vidyalaya have qualified to play in the all Island championship to be played in Matale shortly.

The Reid Avenue School dominated the match as their seasoned campaigner Pasindu Charuke’s two goals gave Royal this hard-fought win.

S Thomas’ scored their only goal in the second half through their centre forward Kavindu Mahawansakkara as straight forward hit in the ‘D’ area in the 12th minute of the second half. Royal’s’s forward-line managed to put pressure on the opponents from the very first minute. They kept the defenders busy with their short passes.

After a series of attacks, Royal earned two penalty-corners in quick succession but both were saved by Thomian skipper and valiant goalkeeper Pasindu Wanigasooriya.

In the 14th minute, Royal earned a crucial penalty corner and right-half Pasindu Charuke netted it successfully to record the first goal of the match.

The Royailsts charged back and earned another penalty-corner in the second half. Charuke, the most outstanding player, sent the ball crashing into to the net to make it 2-1 in the 56th minute and the Reid Avenue School ran out worthy winners for the second successive year having won last year’s enounter by 3-nil at Mount Lavinia.

Before this ‘big encounter’, Royal won the Dudley De Silva Memorial Shield after their routing of Wesley College by nine goals to one.

During that match, Charuke scored three goals.

In the Royal-Trinity encounter for the JCA Corea Memorial Shield, Royalists won by nine goals to one.

In one of the finest hockey matches played in the hill capital in the recent years, Seetha Devi Girls College, Kandy edged out Queensland College, Hertfordshire in England by 2 goals to nil at the University grounds, Peradeniya yesterday. At half time, Seetha Devi girls led 1-0.

The visitors had on their side fitness speed and skills but they did everything but score. One wondered that playing on grass court was their handicap.

Seetha Devi Girls College forward comprising skipper Wathsala Jayasinghe, Charuka Abeyratne and Tharaki Paranagama played their hearts out.

But the player who stole the limelight was Seetha Devi’s right back stockily built 16-year-old Madhumali Karunatillake. She drove play and gave no leeway for the visiting forwards.

This is where the visitors failed.

The match was played in four quarters of 20 minutes each. The first belonged to the Queensland College. They could not breach the home team’s defence. In the 22nd minute of the match, Seetha Devi took play into Queensland College’s territory with Wathsala Jayasinghe sending a pass to Charuka Abeyratne who in turn sliced through the defence and passed to Gimhani Tharaki who scored the goal.

Seetha Devi scored their second goal in the 36th minute and it was the forwards trio Tharaki Paranagana, Charuka Abeyratne and Wathsala Jayasinghe who ‘foxed’ Queensland College’s defence. Shehani Fernando who collected the pass displayed brilliance with stick to take play into the semi circle to score.

In the third and fourth quarter of the game the visitors tried their best to score but Madhumali Karunatillake kept them at bay.

S.M. Raheem and Roshan Hemantha umpired with Sunith Dissanayake as the match commission and third umpire.

Imperial College hockey players from England will make a tour of the hill capital to play two exhibition hockey matches at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy tomorrow.

At 3.30 pm they will take on Seetha Devi Balika Vidyalaya captained by Wathsala Jayasinghe.

The team will include top players like Charuka Abeyratne, Bashini Perera, Tharaki Paranagama, Gimhani Tharani and others.

At 4.45 pm Imperial College boys team will take over an Army Unit team.

Royal College, Colombo scored a good 2-0 win over their traditional rivals Trinity College in their all island schools boys under 17 hockey tournament match organized by Sri Lanka School Hockey Association and played at the Bernard Aluwihare Stadium Matale yesterday. At half time Royalists led 1-0.

Goal scores for Royal College were centre forward Ravi Randika and right inside Pasindu Janaka. Yesterday was the second day of this tournament in which 30 schools are in to tray.

The results of other matches played yesterday were Nalanda College beat Panadura Royal College 7-0, St. Thomas College, Matale beat St. Peters College 4-0, Maris Stella College beat Mahinda College 2-0, St. Thomas College beat D. S. Senanayake College 2-1.

Seetha Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Kandy scored a sensational 3-0 win, over St Anthony’s Girls College, Kandy, to become Central Province Schools Girls Under 19 hockey champions in the finals of the hockey tournament organised by the Department of Education of the Central Province and played at Edward Park, Matale. At half time Seetha Devi led 1-0.

It was only last week that St Anthony’s Girls College won the all island girls under 19 hockey championship in which 30 schools participated. Seetha Devi Balika Vidyalaya finished third.

Seetha Devi Balika Vidyalaya went into this match with grim determination hell bent to come out an top. Their coach M A M Ashraff said that they revamped their team for this tournament and fielded a very young side with almost the entire team was under 17 years except skipper Wathsala Jayasinghe who was 18 years old. This paid dividends he said.

Seetha Devi started cautiously knowing the strength of their opponents who had top players like Nadeesha Sithumini Warigahetti and Sadunika Devagiri both prolific goal scores and guarding the goal was custodian Tharumini Abeykoon all three Sri Lanka Schools Stickers. The first two named were well marked and could hardly do anything.

Seetha Devi BV opened scoring in the 20th minute of the first half when centre half Bashini Perera sent a cross pass to centre forward Wathsala Jayasinghe who made no mistake with the hit at goal much to the jubilation of the Devian supporters.

With the sides changing ends. The Devians did not rest on their laurels and knowing that a 1-0 lead was not a good one to defend knowing the potential of their opponents, they took attack as the best from of defence.

Seetha Devi kept attacking and individually very player in the frontline was well equipped in the basics whom the Antonian top players were marked the attack was slack and out of rhythm. A point the Antonian stickers missed was when Warigahetti and Devagiri were marked they had to switch positions to outwit their opponents.

Playing with more guests the Devians drove play into opponents territory and it was not long before centre forward Bashini Perera collection a pass from Charake Abeyrathne stormed the opponents defence to score with a drive which ricocheted into the goal.

Conceding a 0-2 lead the Antonian girl defence frittered and a few minutes from the end Seetha Devi were awarded a penalty corner and Charuka Abeyratne taking the hit drove to Bashini Perera who had only to move inside the semi circle to score.

Ms Shiroma Athurupana and S N Jayasinghe umpired.

Charuka Abeyratne of Seetha Devi BV was adjudged the best player of the final for displaying aggression and also had a hand in all the scoring efforts.