Sydney Warriors emerge victorious as 2024 Melbourne Touch6 Champions
Sydney Warriors Opens Team
The Sydney Warriors have triumphed in the 2024 Melbourne Touch6 tournament, one of Victoria’s premier touch football events, renowned for its high standards of performance and excellence. Mr. Dushan Kamaragoda, President of the Sri Lankan National Touch Football Association, hailed the victory as a monumental achievement for the Sydney players, particularly for Sri Lankan Sydneysiders who have been striving for this coveted title for years. He stated, “We should all be incredibly proud of the Sydney Warriors and their fantastic accomplishment this year.”
The Sydney Warriors, led by Captain Asanka De Silva and Vice-Captain Viraj Weerasekara, committed to rigorous training every Wednesday and Sunday for the past year under the guidance of their high-performance coach. Winning the tournament in Melbourne was no easy feat, but the team’s perseverance and dedication saw them through to victory. The President emphasised that holding this trophy is a major celebration not only for the team but for all Sri Lankans living in Sydney.
Runners Up Team
Adding to the team’s triumph, Joshua Rozairo was named the Best Player of the Tournament, showcasing his speed, agility, and talent. Joshua, who has represented Touch Football NSW at the National League Championships, brings a wealth of experience and game knowledge to the Sydney Warriors squad.
The team was coached by Mr. Keith Rozairo, the Sri Lankan National Touch Football High-Performance Coach. With over 40 years of experience in touch football at the national level, Keith has also contributed significantly to the sport through high-performance coaching and game development. The President expressed his gratitude and pride in having Keith on board, stating that his passion, experience, and commitment were crucial to the Sydney Warriors’ success this year.
Looking to the future, the President spoke about upcoming Australian interstate tournaments and the goal of developing a Sri Lankan national touch football team based in Australia. This team aims to represent Sri Lanka at the 2026 Asia Cup in Perth and the 2028 World Cup in New Zealand. He called on all Sri Lankan teams, Touch6 supporters, and rugby enthusiasts across Australia to participate in and sponsor the national team to achieve these goals. He stressed the importance of community and business support, particularly in securing sponsorships to further the national players’ development, high-performance coaching, and international competition ambitions.
The President highlighted that this is a historic opportunity, as Sri Lanka has never had the chance to represent in such world-class tournaments. With adequate support and sponsorship, Sri Lanka could become a formidable force in touch football on the global stage.
Dushan Kamaragoda – President of Sri Lanka National Touch football Association with Indika De Silva (Indi) President of Melbourne Touch6 with the coveted Melbourne Championship Trophy.
This year’s Melbourne Touch6 tournament was organized by Indika De Silva (Indi), showcasing exceptional talent, skill, and sportsmanship. A total of 28 teams, 292 Touch football players in five categories, including Victorian touch football clubs, mixed Australian teams, Sri Lankan schools, and Moratuwa University, competed in the men’s competition and witnessing incredible 90 matches for the first time. The tournament introduced a women’s segment, aimed at promoting the sport within women’s athletics in Victoria. A young Victorian Sri Lankan women’s team (Stallions) competed alongside more experienced Australian mixed women’s teams, marking a significant step toward promoting women’s sports and identifying talented athletes who could one day represent Sri Lanka internationally.
The President expressed his gratitude to Indi for his dedication in organizing the event and looks forward to an even bigger and more competitive tournament next year, with more teams vying for the coveted Melbourne Touch6 Championship trophy.
Sydney Warriors squad
