Kandy Sports Club’s cup winning fly-half Fazil Marija has retired from international rugby news that will sadden his legion of fans. His record - he played for the country for 14 years, considering that rugby is a rib bruising game it was admirable that he ran in amazing tries for club and country. His last game for Sri Lanka was in the final defeat to Malaysia at this year’s Asia Division I championship in Malaysia.
Marija was born on 2 December 1985, though he said good bye to national rugby he will be playing for his favorite club Kandy SC for one more season. Fazil as he is popularly known is easily the best rugby sevens and fifteen game player produced by the country in the last several years.
Fazil hails from a famous Malay sporting family, who are rugby crazy. His father Abdul Rasheed Marija played sports for Police. Mother Fareeda Sherifdeen participated in sports at Kandy Good Shepherd Convent. It was she who encouraged Fazil to take up rugby.
His uncles Tuany Amidon played football and rugby for Army and was an All-Ceylon football player and one of the best dribblers in Asia. Kamil “Roy” Amith played for Kandy S.C., T.M.N. Sherifdeen - Navy SC, Fazil’s cousins Ibrahim brothers Raja, Roy, Ronnie, Rinnie and Nilifer, Buks brothers Ansar and Amjad all played for Kandy SC, Dev Ananda played for Navy SC, his brother Faizal is with Kandy SC. Except for Tuany Amidon, the others are products of Kingswood College.
Fazil first donned the Sri Lanka rugby jersey in 2003 and has since been an automatic choice for the national team bringing honor and fame to his motherland with his scintillating displays on the rugby field. He is not only an attacking player but also a tireless tackler who makes him a complete ruggerite who can find a place in any Sevens team in the world.
Fazil was rated as the best fly half in the country; he dedicated himself to rugby and spent a lot of time learning the finer points of the game. in the rugby circle he is almost a house hold name, he has been formidable figure from the day he started playing club rugger.
Fazil is a player, leader, creator and altogether a fine example for all the rugby players. He is a ruggerite with plenty of ideas and ambition and certainly a knowledgeable player. Fazil’s capabilities and his potential cannot be matched by any of the fly half’s today.
He is a play maker and a fine place kicker maybe two different characters but his motivation is one that is success on the field. It is his excellent combination that kept his club Kandy SC flying high. He has already etched his name in the Kandy SC rugby history book as one of their most dedicated players.
A product of Kingswood College, the school which is situated close to his house he has played the game at all age level teams and led the senior team in his last year of school rugby. He was first coached at senior level by former Army SC and Sri Lanka winger G.B. Gunadasa and later by his cousin Ronnie Ibrahim, a master technician. Fazil as a schoolboy was spotted by Kandy SC’s godfather Malik Samarawickrema in the match between Kingswood and Royal, and was invited to play in the Clifford Cup knockouts and today he is a legend in the game of rugby.
In 2010, he led Kandy SC to win the triple and was crowned as the most Popular Club ruggerite in the “Caltex Sunday Observer” competition. He also led the country at the Tri-nation championship in which he did well as a player and captain. He also led the club in 2015 to win the league and knockouts.
Fazil has helped his club in a big way and in the last couple of years, he carried his club single-handedly. This is something not easy in a game of rugby but this simply proves his determination. Fazil has led the Nittawela club from the front, in an exemplary manner. Fazil is a player who is able to breach the defence and executive ploys such as dummy pass, scissor pass, reverse pass. We haven’t seen a player of his caliber for some time. He is an extraordinary person, with huge talent who reads the game cleverly in making changes on the spot.
Fazil should be thankful to his mother Fareeda she is the one who encouraged him during his school days. The Kandy SC Committee and the fans backed him immensely and he was also supported by that great benefactor ‘Mr. Rugby’ Malik Samarawickrema. Thanks to Malik, Fazil got the opportunity to play for a New Zealand Club – Northland Rugby Club, where he played five matches in that season.
For Fazil to hang up his boots and watch from a distance will obviously be frustrating. He’s a total legend on and off the pitch, always had time for everyone. Everyone who has played with, coached and watched Fazil play should feel privileged to have been involved with him. He’ll be remembered for a lot of good reasons by the national team.
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