Tuan Bohoran was a fine scrum half-by Althaf Nawaz
Source:Dailynews
The Malay community in Sri Lanka has played a pivotal role in the field of sports. The game of rugby has a special place and they contributed immensely towards its success. Some of them hailed from generations who handled the oval shaped ball. Tuan Krishan Bohoran was another fine player who came from a rugby playing background including his uncles, cousin and father bringing honour and fame for the country.
Bohoran was born in 1976 and his father is Tuan Rahim who influenced his career playing for Sri Lanka Police as a Flanker during the period of Anton Benedict, Daya Jayasundera and Numal Lewke. He later played rugby in Qatar for the Lanka Lions Team. Mother is Nona Hafeela Samath. He has two siblings Tuan Rafeel is his brother and Razeena is the sister. Due to his family members being educated at Isipathana, he too obtained a place there and enrolled in 1982 and completed his studies in 1993. With his immediate brother being a rugby player who played for college in 1991, Bohoran was highly motivated by him to play rugby. He started to play rugby at Junior level at the tender age of nine years and started to play competitive rugby in the under-13 age group when he was 11 years old in 1989. His team became the All Island Champions in the under-13 and 15 age category from 1989 to 1991.
In 1991, the Isipathana under-15 school team toured Malaysia which was sponsored by Butani Exports. He remained as Vice-Captain of the team with Sunanda Fernando leading them which was coached jointly by Hyacinth Kumara and Sanath Asanjaya. In 1992, at the age of 17 years he donned the college first XV jersey while winning the All Island Schools Sevens tournament under Champika Nishantha’s captaincy. That year was a unique one for Isipathana rugby becoming All Island Champions creating history winning 17 trophies in under- 13/15/17 and first XV rugby except for one loss in the under-17 sevens to Thomians. During his tenure with the senior team, he played along with some quality players like Miyuru Yuganthara, Jeehan Jayah, Piyum Prashantha few to be named where he played as a scrum half in his first XV rugby career.
In 1993, under the captaincy of Chamila Samantha they became League Champions and runners up in the knock out tournament, which apparently remained as the best period in his school rugby career. In the same year, in the match against Trinity at Longden Place Trinity were leading 5/0 just three minutes before the final whistle. Off a scrum in mid field, he picked the ball and hoodwinked the entire Trinity back division to score by the corner flag to draw the game 5-all to become the League Champions in 1993 which he rates as one of the unstinted performances in his rugby career. Along with this, he put up a belligerent performance in several matches representing his ‘Alma Mater’ including their annual big match at Longden Place. Their rivals Thurstan was leading 11-9 and off a scrum he received the pass to run solo covering 80 metres to touch down under the post shattering their rivals hopes of winning the game, which was also an unforgettable performance during his school rugby. career After his school career, in 1994 he joined Havelocks and played as a scrum half along with Leonard de Zilva and Fijian National Jale Salusalu under the coaching of Ana Saranapala. In 1995, he was invited by Kurunegala Rugby Football Club(KRFC) to play in the ‘B’ division where they became Champions and next year KRFC was promoted to play in the ‘A ’division. He scrummed down for them with some elite players like Apisai Nagata, his cousin Hisham Abdeen, Ananda Fernando, Nishantha Dias, Fijian Vice Captain Savanacea Aria They were coached by Sanath Martis and Kishin Butani came on board as the sponsor for them.
1996 with KRFC they toured Bombay, India to take part in the Bombay Gymkhana Sevens. In 1997, he was taken to Kandy by Kishin Butani and Hassan Sinhawansa to play for Kandy along with Fijians Apisai Nagata, Manasa Qoro, Opethi Turuwa where Kandy became ‘Triple Champions’ for the first time coached by Nimal Lewke. Next year in 1998, he joined Petersons and played along with Jale Salu Salu coached by MD Ifthikar
In 1999/00 seasons, he crossed over to lock horns for CH and FC under coach Tony Amit team led by Nazeem Mohamed and Ajith Upawansa. Once again he swapped clubs and joined CR and FC in 2001 and played until 2005 as a scrum half under CP Abeygunawardena and Ajith Abeyratne’s coaching. His club career ended up by rejoining CH in the 2006/07 season.
He got the National call in 1996 and played under Priyantha Ekanayake’s captaincy and played in several tournaments. He was selected to tour Malaysia and in 2008 for the Quadrangular Tournament involving Japan, Korea, Hong Kong in Colombo. He also played in the 2004 Hong Kong Sevens under Sanjeewa Jayasinghe as Captain. In 1993, when he was only 17 years old he was selected to play in the junior national under-21 tour of Taiwan for the Mini World Cup Qualifiers under coaches S.W. Chang and Ananda Kasturiarachchi.
He is grateful to all his coaches from school club and National Level commencing from Hyacinth Kumara, Sanath Asanjaya, MD Ifthikar, MPF Sallay, Maxwell Dias, Sanath Martis, Ana Saranapala, Ajith Abeyratne, CP Abeygunawardena, Tony Amit, Hafeel Wazil, Asanga Seneviratne, Nimal Lewke and late George Simpkin.
He began his coaching career in 2008 with St. Anthony’s, Wattala and coached the junior academy of Dilroy Fernando and Isipathana Junior Academy. He coached several schools from 2011 including St. Joseph’s under-16 team in 2012 and assistant coach of the first XV team in 2013/14, D.S. Senanayake under-16 coach from 2015 to 17 and again coached St. Joseph’s under-16 and 18 teams and from 2018 to upto date as Head Coach of Carey College first XV team.
His greatest supporter who always encouraged him and supported him throughout his rugby career was Hassan Sinhawansa who also found him a job at Butani Exports while playing rugby. He extends his sincere gratitude to Kishin Butani for the unstinted support rendered during his rugby career as a sponsor.
