1. Do not sit behind a water polo goal when a team is practicing even if there are protective structures (Like pillars) in the way.

2. Do not stay anywhere near the goal when a team is practicing.

The first experience was nearly getting clobbered by a ball during shooting practice. The next was getting half soaked by a flash of water headed my way while I was standing at the side of the pool!

After a very interesting photo shoot where we saw Players suspended in mid air as well as a medley of Cones and Polo balls, I got down to the interview with the STC team, who had many interesting things to say. Enjoy!

Give us a very brief description about water polo for the benefit of those who may not know very much about the sport.
Darith De Silva and Mahiru Abeyesekere: It can be described as handball in the water; and for those who are not familiar with handball, we can say that it is a combination of rugby, football and basketball, and requires a lot of skill and stamina. Basically Water Polo (WP) has something of all the major sports. It has the toughness of Rugby, the fitness of a long distance runner and you need to be as smart as a Chess Player.

Compared to most land based sports, water polo seems much more challenging as you will lose a certain degree of flexibility. How do you overcome this?
Mahiru: You need a lot of practice, because a land based sport would require running and you just need to get used to it. But it’s different with swimming because you need to be trained by someone. So first you need to get used to swimming and then you need to get used to playing the game.

Norwitch Paranavithana: Plus you need a proper technique and you need proper training for that.

Thisura Thamanegama: You have to be mentally and physically fit, because the game is really physical, and practice actually makes perfect here.

Water polo has been described as a three-way game- 25% Conditioning, 25% ability and 50% THINKING! How far do you agree with this statement and how do you train yourself to “think”

“This question resulted in a deafening silence with looks of bewilderment on the faces of the team. But then Mahiru said:”
Mahiru: When you are playing a match, you need more time to think. So if you don’t train properly you have to spend more time thinking about how you can get your fitness levels up and maintain them at the same level. When you practice more you will learn how to make critical decisions in a very short time which is an advantage during the actual game. So that’s why we basically need to think nearly 50% of the time. But this requires experience and skill.

Darith: Unlike other things, you need to be able to think when you are put under pressure. Unlike any other sport you can’t breathe when someone is pushing you down in the water or if you are under water. As a result your thinking capacity drops enormously. So because of that you need to train well, so that when you are put under pressure and when you are inside the water, you will then think in a way that will be beneficial to your team and so that you won’t break down. So that is why you need to practice to train your mind. You can’t train yourself by only thinking.

What inspired you to play water polo, even with so many frontline sports like cricket, football around? I made sure that I asked this question from every member of the team. So here goes!
Darith: I enjoy water Polo much more than the other sports, and actually water Polo can be considered as one of the top three sports in College at the moment. After cricket and rugby, you will see a large turnout at a water polo match. It fun and it’s different because it’s not a land sport, which means that you are different from everyone. Everyone can run. Whereas on the other hand, everyone can’t swim. And everyone can’t handle the pressure of water polo. We train in the morning; evening and sometimes we go for gym. So it’s not like any other sport. You enjoy it. You learn a lot of self discipline by playing this sport. Because unlike any other sport, you need to think about what you eat and drink. If you party the night before and come for training the next morning, you are not going to be able to swim properly, which means that your fitness is going to go down. This sport has taught me a lot and helped me in a lot of things.

Norwitch: First of all you learn discipline. That’s the main reason why I joined water polo. Plus it is really tough and when you have mastered your swimming skills it is much easier to learn skills needed for water Polo

Chanuka Perera: I started swimming first, so I was kind of good at it, when I was small. (Laughing..) So I thought of joining water polo as I felt I would be good at it, and it worked out for me. I came for a few Hayman’s and I saw the crowd and I ENJOYED it! The support you get is amazing and this is kind of a glamour sport so I thought of joining it and ended up being good at it! (Brings on a whole heap of laughter from his team-mates)

Savith Warnapura: My brothers played water polo and I’ve seen them play and practice many times and this inspired me to join this sport.

Dilan Goonewardene: I used to swim since I was in year three and I liked water polo because I like anything to do with water! I prefer this sport to cricket and rugby because I felt that I have the knack for water polo more than any other sport.

Neomal Wickramasekera: It was just the passion I had for the sport since the first time I went for the Hayman. I saw how closely knit the team was during the quarters and intervals and I was taken aback by it and this inspired me to join.

Arjun De Alwis: Well, I wasn’t a very serious swimmer at first, even though my friends like Dilan were very serious about swimming. So after they joined the WP team, I used to watch them play and they kept on telling me that WP was a good sport so I joined it to see how it was. I actually found it very challenging and ended up playing it ever since!

Jaliya Goonetillake: I prefer WP to other sports like cricket and it’s really fun to play. That motivated me to continue with it.

Thushan Perera: My brothers represented College and I find WP very unique from any other sport because is a loving game and helps us to build up solid friendships. All the players are like best friends to each other. So actually my involvement in WP is a generational thing!

Thisura Thamanegama: I used to watch my brothers swim always when I was small, so swimming was in my blood when I started playing WP, which is a very tough sport compared to rugby and other sports. That’s why I like it.

Shehan Setunga: Actually, I used to play rugby initially and my cousins used to play water Polo and I used to come and watch their games. So I joined and found it really hard at first, but the most important thing to me was my teammates who were really supportive, friendly and good. This is what made me continue. Mahiru: The Hayman is one of the main events in our college’s sporting calendar. I’ve trained in other sports like rugby and all, but the main reason why I joined was because everyone can’t play WP and can’t swim. So I wanted to do something different and something what other people couldn’t do and found it hard to do. So that is one of the main things that inspired me to get into the game.

So you got into the game because you saw it as a challenge?

Mahiru: Definitely. Because it requires a lot of hard work and effort, and I wanted to do it the hard way.

How does your school support your water polo team? Do you get a good response from your schoolmates?
Mahiru: We get a huge crowd for every Hayman and a lot of support is given by the school, students, parents and the Old Boys. Definitely from the Old Boys, because they help us a lot. That is one of the main reasons that we go so well during the year. College does support us a lot

How frequently do you train?
Darith: We currently train six days a week. We have double sessions on four days, two single sessions and a gym session as well.

What makes a perfect water polo team?
I asked the team to discuss this question, and they came up with the following after long session of debating, laughing and trying to find the perfect balance! The team summed it up in five words/sentences.

Unity, Discipline, Dedication, Passion for the sport, and the desire to be the best.

What’s the coolest things about water Polo!
Literally, I couldn’t even hear myself thing at this point with the variety of ideas that came out which included “Water, Water, WATER! GIRLS! No, don’t say that!

After a lengthy debate, the team had this to say

You are more respected by your college mates and people around you and winning a Roy Tho is extravagant in any sport. And it’s much better when you can do the same thing in a WP match. The crowd and the whole atmosphere is just amazing. So it’s really amazing when you see that level of support for a Roy Tho match.

There is a lot of support that comes from college, and the stadium is always full and its cool that the people in the whole stadium have their attention focused on the pool. And it’s an awesome feeling that everybody around is not able to do anything what the people in the pool are doing. You feel unique at that time.

If you could change anything in the game (even a rule) what would you change?
Everybody laughed. Surely there was much to say. But everybody agreed that it was best the way it was.

Question for the GoalKeeper: Goal keeping in the water is surely more demanding than a sport like football. What tactics do you use to ensure that you are able to prevent your opposing team from scoring?
This was the beginning for the Ahhhhhh chorus! Was I on to something?

Arjun: The main thing for a goal keeper is to have good leg muscles and it’s important for a keeper to remain focussed during the whole game. Just watching the ball and not letting it get past you will ensure that and bring victory to your team.

Question for the Captain: How do you keep your team mates motivated and active in the water?
Darith: My team is naturally motivated. They all like the sport, and I know that they are dedicated when it comes to winning matches. I get a lot of support from my seniors and coloursmen as well. So as a captain, a lot of the burden is taken of me because of all the support and motivation comes naturally to everyone. So it’s not such a hard job. Even being the captain in the water is not so hard because everyone is able to motivate themselves and it’s not so hard to win. That is why we’ve already been able to win the first tournament of this year that we had and that is why I am sure that we will be able to bring back the Hayman to the College.

How would you convince more people to join the sport and make it more popular?
Darith: The problem with water Polo is that first of all; you require a pool. And the thing is that most schools don’t have pools in Sri Lanka. So because of that it’s a little hard to promote because the initial capital that is needed can be substantial. You need pools, goals and WP Balls. A Mikas ball right now will come to about 5000/=, and this is just for one ball. You can also get another brand for about 2000/=. The caps that we wear can also be costly at 1500/=. So it’s not that people will not like the sport. It’s just that they don’t have the resources. That is why we try to help other schools out sometimes but the main problem is the issue of not having a pool. I know that everyone will like the sport.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Roy Tho game?
We have worked really hard throughout the season up to now, so we should be able to win. We are capable of it and if we do well on that day and give 100%; we are SURE to give 100%! so I don’t think there will be a problem in winning. It’s just that we have to keep focused, and then we should be able to win.

Mahiru: Our coach has done a really good job in training us to this point and keeping us in shape. We’ve won the first tournament with them and we’ve shown them that we won’t give them an easy win. I wish the Royal team the best of luck and I hope that they give us a good game.

There are a lot of people who have helped us. The Thomian Aquatic Sports Union, parents and especially our coach Mr. Roshan Ranasinghe. If not for him we would have been this good. Even the Old Boys and our Friends have been really supportive to us.

Both teams have played for 13 years. We are gonna get it back for sure this year. It has purely been the coach’s inspiration. WE have all been inspired by him.

Darith: Finally on behalf of my team we would like to thank colombospirit for giving us this opportunity and the support. It’s a good thing that this is recognized and that you’ll have come to give us this publicity. Thank you very much