‘Pakistan needs private sponsors for rugby’
Sri Lanka rugby official gives tips for promoting the sport
Comparing Sri Lanka to Pakistan, the official said that in terms of popularity, rugby is almost at par with cricket in his country. PHOTO: AFP /FILE
KARACHI:
International Rugby Board Senior Educator Dilroy Fernando emphasised the importance of encouraging corporate sponsors to promote rugby in Pakistan.
Fernando, who was on his sixth trip to Pakistan, trained 20 local referees in two days in an event organised by the Pakistan Rugby Union in Lahore.
The official believes that it is time for Pakistan’s youth to focus on sports other than cricket. “My question is: how many players feature in the national cricket team?” asked Fernando while talking to The Express Tribune. “Only 11, so the youth is bound to go towards other sports, other options.
“Pakistan has a huge population and in order to promote rugby, private sponsors need to come forward.”
Fernando added that rugby’s reach is growing every day, with active participation observed in 125 countries in the world and 26 in Asia.
Comparing Sri Lanka to Pakistan, the official said that in terms of popularity, rugby is almost at par with cricket in his country. “Everyone watches cricket when the national team plays it, but club rugby is also very popular in Sri Lanka,” he said.
He added that the Pearl Island is fortunate to have private sponsors who are always willing to promote the sport one way or the other.
“In Sri Lanka, LKR40 million goes into funding the top division competitions and LKR25-30 million is invested in the school events.
“However, it isn’t necessary for sponsors to help only in monetary terms; they can also help by arranging a venue or giving away the rugby ball.”
Commenting on his visit to Pakistan, Fernando praised the local referees’ eagerness to learn and absorb knowledge regarding the sport on the international level.
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International Rugby Board Senior Educator Dilroy Fernando emphasised the importance of encouraging corporate sponsors to promote rugby in Pakistan.
Fernando, who was on his sixth trip to Pakistan, trained 20 local referees in two days in an event organised by the Pakistan Rugby Union in Lahore.
The official believes that it is time for Pakistan’s youth to focus on sports other than cricket. “My question is: how many players feature in the national cricket team?” asked Fernando while talking to The Express Tribune. “Only 11, so the youth is bound to go towards other sports, other options.
“Pakistan has a huge population and in order to promote rugby, private sponsors need to come forward.”
Fernando added that rugby’s reach is growing every day, with active participation observed in 125 countries in the world and 26 in Asia.
Comparing Sri Lanka to Pakistan, the official said that in terms of popularity, rugby is almost at par with cricket in his country. “Everyone watches cricket when the national team plays it, but club rugby is also very popular in Sri Lanka,” he said.
He added that the Pearl Island is fortunate to have private sponsors who are always willing to promote the sport one way or the other.
“In Sri Lanka, LKR40 million goes into funding the top division competitions and LKR25-30 million is invested in the school events.
“However, it isn’t necessary for sponsors to help only in monetary terms; they can also help by arranging a venue or giving away the rugby ball.”
Commenting on his visit to Pakistan, Fernando praised the local referees’ eagerness to learn and absorb knowledge regarding the sport on the international level.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.