Mostly people in life work towards achieving a goal. When it comes to sports, it will remain the same as they like to reach the top in a particular sport and to become a top coach. Danushka Boteju had similar ideas and strived hard to reach that milestone starting as a player from school level then engaged in competitive club rugby going onto don the National jersey before becoming a qualified rugby coach.
Danushka was born in Colombo in 1983 was better known as ‘Botta’. His father Wilman Boteju worked as a Government Employee with mother Kamala Fernando being a housewife. He has one sister Thushani. From his younger days he was very particular in maintaining a good physique having a hefty frame by birth. He was enrolled at Isipathana college in 1989 and continued his academic career until 2002. He had a liking towards sports and was very optimistic in becoming a top class coach with the oval shaped ball game.
At Isipathana rugby was like a religion, and he too got into momentum and joined playing rugby at under-13 age group when he was 12 years old. He then competed in all age groups starting from under 13/15/17/19. In the year 2000 they became under-17 All Island Cup champions defeating Royal at a time they were left out without coaches. Next year in 2001, they surged ahead to clinch the Western Province 10’s tournament and they couldn’t participate in the All Island tournament due to sudden loss of their teammate Suranga Warunasuirya who had a tragic death during the practice sessions. In 2001 they won the under-19 Premier Championship beating St. Peters in the final under the captaincy of Ranga Perera played at Police Park He made his debut with the college first XV team in 2001, . In 2002, they remained as an unbeaten team led by Anuranga Walpola and went on to create history by crushing Trinity 43-8 which apparently was the highest score against them in Pallekele coached by Sanath Martis. His school coaches were Sanath Martis, Champika Nishantha, Bimal Perera, Isinth Perera and Gamini Indrasena. Apart from rugby, he played cricket and football for school. He was a member of the School Oriental Band while being a senior prefect.
After an eventful school career, he decided to continue playing club rugby and joined CR and FC under-21 team in 2002 under the captaincy of Haren Kaluarachchi which was his first club Rugby experience. From there he played for the under-24 team with CR where they ended up joint champions with CH and FC, which was while representing the college first XV team. Throughout his career from the school days he occupied the position of Prop forward and that CR team was captained by Shamly Navaz coached by Tony Amit. In 2009, he was assigned as vice Captain of the Longden place club and later captained them in the Inter Club 10’s tournament in which they became champions. The memorable moment in his club
rugby was when he was adjudged the ‘Best Forward’ in 2006 at the Caltex Rugby Awards. His tenure with CR was from 2003 to 2009 and played under several captains including of Shamly Navaz, Pavithra Fernando, Anuradha Dharmathilake, Shamil Mohamed and Ashen Karthelis and was coached by Tony Amit, Asanga Seneviratne, Grant Dwyer, Tavitha Thualgesi (Laga) and John Carinton. His team mates were Savantha de Saram, Viraj Prashantha, Pavithra Fernando, Ravindra Wekadapala, Anuja Perera, Hasitha Perera, Ashen Karthelis, Shamil Mohamed, M.J. Musthaq, Asanga Rodrigo, Harin Kaluarachchi and Zulker Hameed are few to be named.
He was nominated for the National squad in 2004 and played in several tournaments. In 2006 played against China. In 2007 played against Arabian Gulf and Kazakhstan under Sanjeewa Jayashinghe’s captaincy coached by late George Simpkin and Rob Yule. After hanging up his boots, he started focusing on his work and joined Asia Securities as a Trainee Stock Broker, where he worked 16 years and was promoted to Assistant Manager. Then opted to start coaching with Agoal Academy in 2010 invited by Dilroy Fernando. During this period they had tours to Thailand and Malaysia. In 2010, he joined D.S. Senanayake College as assistant coach with A.C. Tennakoon. Then he moved to St. Josephs, Maradana as head coach for the under-16 and 18 teams. They assigned him to develop the junior structure in 2011/12 seasons. In 2012, he had an opportunity of joining another sport, the American Football, a new sport to be developed
in Sri Lanka. Dilroy selected him as a Trainee coach for EFLI league where he participated in coaches orientation and training programmes with American coaches. He obtained a level-1 coaching certificate for American football and worked as linesmen coach for Colombo Lions team with them.
He then served as head coach of S. Thomas under-18 team and Assistant Coach for the first XV under Grant Dwyer from 2013 to 2015, where they were promoted to ‘A ’division in 2013 overcoming several big schools . He had a great experience to improve his coaching skills (professional Rugby coaching skills) while working under Australian Coach Grant Dwyer.
Later he had a great opportunity to work as a coach for his club CR as Assistant Coach in the 2016/17 season with Scottish Coach Ben which was a great experience. He joined Zahira College as Head coach for the under-18 team in 2019 and has several achievements. Later was promoted to take care of the first XV team where he worked hard to develop the team and had a great start against Mahanama in 2020 winning the match by 40 points, after which the season came to a standstill due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently is working with Zahira rugby as in charge. He has completed the rugby coaching level 1 and 2 accredited by World Rugby and also has level one Officials certificate. His wife is Nadee Subashini and has a child Thedam Ranshia.
By – Daily news