Bilal Hassan – Triple International in rugby, swimming and water polo-by Althaf Nawaz
Bilal Hassan
Source:Dailynews
It is very rare to find a family engaged in one particular sport discipline, while representing the same school. Bilal Hassan was one of them who hails from a rugby playing family where his father along with other two brothers handled the oval shaped ball donning the Royal College, Colombo jersey. Bilal has a rare record of being a triple International representing the country at water polo, swimming and rugby respectively.
Bilal was born in 1989 in Colombo and his father Iqbal Hassan better known as “Horsy” was a well-known figure in sporting circles. Iqbal represented Royal in rugby from 1977 to 1979, later played club rugby for CH and FC from 1980, and has contributed for the betterment of the game serving in various capacities. including as Secretary of SLRFU. Bilal’s mother was Shamiron, a housewife who remained the livewire behind his success story. He has four siblings with two brothers Omar and Hamza while Mariam and Zainab are the two sisters. Bilal with a hefty frame was very particular in maintaining good physique from his small days. He was very enthusiastic in engaging in sports and following his father’s footsteps in sports. Even though rugby took a major share in his sporting career, he excelled in water polo locally and Internationally bringing honour and fame to the country.
Since they lived in Colpetty, he was enrolled at Royal College which was within walking distance from his home. His school career was from 1985 to 2008 where he went on to complete his higher studies. He launched his sporting career at school with the swimming team (high school) from 1999 to 2008, later appointed as the deputy skipper in 2008. He was a member of the Royal College first XV rugby team from 2006 to 2008 while leading them in the sevens tournament in 2008. The year 2008 was a quite significant one in his career where he achieved several milestones.
Coinciding with these sports, he also captained the college water polo team to remain unbeaten in the 2008 season. He was finally awarded the “Royal Crown” for water polo in 2007 and grabbed the biggest sports recognition by his ‘Alma Mater’ being adjudged Sportsman of the Year in 2008.
While he was a schoolboy, he played for the Sri Lanka under-19 rugby team under the coaching of Sanath Martis from 2006 to 2008. Also toured with the same team to Korea. While competing there, he was called up for national duty with the Sri Lanka team which toured Korea in 2008, under the captaincy of Dilanka Wijesekera who was his role model in rugby being a schoolboy.
Dilanka was instrumental in calling him to play for CH and FC while being a schoolboy in 2008. He was also his captain who played at the Caltex knockouts in the same year. After two years, in 2010 he moved to CR and FC. He was a member of the CR sevens team which won the club sevens championship the same year. In 2012, he decided to lock horns with the Navy team which won the Rugby League and the Club Knock-out Championship under the captaincy of Yoshitha Rajapaksa, He donned the Navy jersey from 2011 to 2015. He was a member of the Sri Lanka Navy water polo team from 2009 to 2011 and went on to win the Water Polo Nationals for them in 2010.
His illustrious rugby career with the National was from 2008 to 2016. He toured Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Philippines with the national rugby team under the captaincy of Namal Rajapaksa in 2016 ably assisted by Ronnie Ibrahim as coach. While competing in the National team, toured with the Sri Lanka Sevens team for the Asian Games and Commonwealth games in 2010. While he was representing the country in rugby also was a member of the Sri Lanka Junior National swimming team which toured India in 1999 and 2000. With the National Water Polo team, he toured Malaysia, Singapore and Pakistan. During his higher studies played for the University Rugby team that won the East Coast University rugby championship in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Played for the Kutztown University sevens team which was ranked second in the United States during his further studies. He served as a College Prefect in 2008 played a key role in organizing many sporting events in the school. He graduated from Kutztown University, Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and completed the degree with a 3.4 GPA. He also holds Certifications and Qualifications Level-1 Australian S and C association (ASCA), Holds a golf fitness certified (NASM- National Association of Sports Medicine), completed a level 2 coaching conducted by World Rugby, holds a S and C coach level 2 conducted by World Rugby, followed a Sports Nutrition course conducted by (NASM). He underwent a Diploma in Events and Sport Management and Named in the Dean’s List in 2012 for academic Northwood University, West Palm Beach, Florida for his performance.
He is the co-founder and head coach of first kid’s fitness academy Sri Lanka called Trooper Elite in 2017 which has grown to over 40 young athletes over the past years. Also the co-founder and head coach of Trooper Rugby.a youth rugby academy for kids age 3 to 12 years old. which started
in 2017 with 10 kids and three coaches, which has grown to over 60 kids and six coaches who are world rugby coaching certified. In his coaching tenure, he was Isipathana College Rugby under-20 team coach in 2017. Was the under-18 head coach of St. Josephs College Rugby in 2015 and 2016. Royal College Water Polo under-20 head Coach from 2016 to date, TAFA football academy strength and conditioning coach from 2016 to 2020. Coach of Sri Lanka Water Polo from 2017 to date.
