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Port Authority player causes furore at netball nationals
A mom’s love for the game
By S.M.D.Sirisena
An incident involving a player in the Port Authority team spoilt a perfect day’s netball at the National Championships which got underway at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Girls’s School Courts at Baudhaloka Mawatha in Colombo yesterday.

The player concerned had turned up to play for Ports Authority but the coach of the team had protested at her participation because she was apparently on maternity leave. The player, a Sri Lanka netballer, had come to take part in the competition because of the love she has for the game. But Port Authority netball officials did not want her in the team!

The team, however, wanted the organizers, the Netball Association of Sri Lanka to intervene, but they declined stating that it was an internal matter concerning the Port Authority and should be settled only by Port Authority.
The Port Authority coach had her way and the player concerned was asked to sit out! This player had even come with her baby to all accounts, was about five months old.

Matches in the competition was keenly fought out and according to the first day’s play, Hatton National Bank, Port Authority, New Youngs, Air Force and Seylan Bank should be in the running for the championship title at the competition which will draw to a close today at the Sports Ministry Courts, Torrington Square.

A feature at the contest was the stout hearted performance put up by the Ratnapura consisting of school girls. They were pitted against Port Authority, which had five national players. Eventhough they lost 29-3, they gave a lot of promise and should figure well at future contests.

Yesterday’s results:
Group A: Deepthi beat Fortune 27-11; HNB beat Deepthi 40-10; HNB beat Fortune 27-9.

Group B: Kurunegala Pannala beat Super Star Kalutara 23-8; Keep Fit beat Super Star 27-7; Keep Fit beat Kurunegala Pannala 20-17.Group C: Police SC beat Vavuniya 38-5; Police beat Monaragala 40-3; Monaragala w/o Vavuniya; Police w/o Maliyadeva.

Group D: Puttalam New Youngs beat Speed Birds Colombo 22-10; Galle Sacred Heart beat Speed Birds 22-8; New Youngs beat Sacred Heart 22-15.
Group E: Seylan Bank beat Maliyadeva 20-8; Maliyadeva beat Playgrounds 17-12; Seylan w/o Playgrounds.

Group G: Galle Youth Jaffna SC 27-14; Jaffna SC beat Chilaw Marians 22-8.
Group H: Reed Star beat Kegalla Pannala 28-8; Air Force beat Anuradhapura 32-11; Air Force beat Reed Star 30-6; Air Force w/o Kegalla Pannala.
Knock-out stage: Port Authority beat Ratnapura 29-3; New Youngs beat Torrington 20-17; HNB beat Reed Star 30-4; Air Force beat Deepthi Gampaha 37-17; Deepthi beat Jaffna 19-11; Air Force beat New Youngs 22-3; Seylan beat Monaragala 24-2; Police w/o Maliyadeva.

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