With a long overdue 16-15 victory over S. Thomas College in an unforgettable display of unrelenting pirit and skill, the Royal College water polo team achieved the ultimate goal, lifting the 5-year hoodoo to clinch victory at the 27th Dr R. L. Hayman encounter. Royalists from all corners will remember the 6th of October as revival of the water polo Legacy, and the game will go down in history as one of the greatest that the series has ever seen.

Before we take a look back at the two legs, it is worth forwarding here the sentiments of a fellow spectator during the dying moments of the game. He utters under his breath as Akindu Handunpathirana raises his arm to take the game winning shot “Score! for your brothers who couldn’t -Score! to raise what they didn’t” – words that truly encapsulate the effect of Dulanjan & his team on the College legacy.

It was the first time in after seven years that college was able to bag the 1st leg and much to the credit of the fight put up by both camps many parallels were drawn to the 2012 Roy – Tho water polo outing, led by Shan Lakshitha who despite losing the first leg 4-6, managed to make a 5-1 comeback retaining the Hayman 9-7.

The 1st leg kicked off on a rather positive note as the crowd witnessed two quick goals early on in the game from Isiwaruna De Silva. Drawing first blood – a clear statement was made to the Blue and Black camp. Akindu Handunpathirana added insult to injury as he scored the 3rd goal not more than five minutes into the game. It took till towards the end of the first quarter for the Thomians to add their first goal to the board. However, dreams of an easy game were short-lived as goals were successively made by Sawinda Dissanayake of RC and Shannon Ebenezer of STC during the second quarter.  Royal went into the 2nd quarter having secured a two-goal lead but the Thomians were quick to catch up as. Shannon Ebenezer and Manula added two goals for the white caps while Sawinda Dissanayake scored his second goal moments away from the half time mark. A post halftime tactical shift by STC paved way for two successive goals from Manula Wickremaratne and Shevaan Ebenezer. The newfound Thomian lead was short lived with Sawinda Dissanayake scoring back to back to reinstate the Royalists lead at 7 – 6. The fourth phase of the game had the Thomians launching a well co – ordinated offensive strike, putting the Royal decense to the test for the first time in the entire leg. Ebenezer pulled through for STC early in the 4th quarter which was followed by a long back and forth play between the two teams, it was a goal from Dulvin Dahanayake that ended the tarry and placed the Reid Avenue players back in the lead. At twilight, the Thomians gifted a chance to Royal off a foul enabling Isiwaruna De Silva to lay the icing on the cake ending the first leg 9 – 7 in favor of his team.

The sense of elation and euphoria felt whilst walking out of the Sugathadasa Stadium with a first leg win, was a first for many of the younger generation & a welcome reminder for those who last felt it in 2011. Moving into the second leg the Royal outfit had no intention of dropping the ball after recovering from marginal defeat the previous year.

The crowd that had gathered at the finale leg amidst a downpour of torrential rain was testament to the hopes, dreams and the resulting pressure riding on the backs of the 7 players in the pool that evening. The Royal camp started off eerily similar to the previous leg with Shamod Edirisinghe expertly scoring doubles for the Royalists within 5 minutes of the starting whistle. Anaam Sourjah and Shevaan evened the playing field for STC but a long range shot from Savinda Dissanayake sailed past the heads of the white caps, safely placing Royal at a 3 – 2 lead. Thomian Captain Sanaka Molligoda questioned the Royalists’ stand with an opening goal at the 2nd quarter, Royal Skipper Dulanjan Fernando calmly replied with a well-executed goal a few moments later.

Five minutes into the second quarter, Thomian Shannon Ebenezer slotted the important score that saw both teams go in for the half-time break with 4 goals a-piece. The 3rd quarter was a frenzy of goals gained till soon the STC camp had turned the tables 7 – 4 in their favor. It was Isiwaruna De Silva’s goal that brought back the two teams to a neck and neck 7 – 5 score. With Ebenezer furthering the Thomian cause scoring another goal! things were looking seemingly good for STC sitting on edge at a score of 8 – 5. The last few minutes of the game was heart stopping moment after heart stopping moment, from the scoring of Akther Jaffer’s expert goal to the shock of Omira Lokuges presumably game winning goal being disallowed! The play was halted after the disallowed goal and then – with 45 seconds to go the clock restarted, with 15 seconds to go Handunpathirana found himself in charge of the ball and thus the rest as we have come to know is one for the golden pages in the annals of history.

A victory as well deserved as that by the 2018 water polo team of Royal College does not need pages of verse to highlight its distinction: Instead we can be satisfied with the legacy they have revived and “Kept thy flame inviolate”. To a freshly written chapter that shan’t be soon forgotten;

Floreat!

RC: Savinda Dissanayake Isiwaruna De Silva Akindu Handunpathirana & Dulvin Dahanayake

STC: Shannon Ebenezer Shevan Ebenezer Randhev David & Manula Wickremaratne

RC – Shamod Edirisinghe Savinda Dissanayake Dulanjan Fernando Akther Jaffer Isiwaruna De Silva Akindu Handunpathirane

STC – Shannon Ebenezer Anaam Sourjah Sanaka Molligoda Manula Wikramaratne Shevaan Ebenezer

M.V.P – Isiwaruna De Silva