Keyasha and Yasara take HFC netball to new heights
View(s):Keyasha and Yasara Siriwardana, Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya’s two new sporting aces, are writing a fresh chapter in the school’s illustrious 110-year sports history with their exploits on the basketball court.
Both girls spearheaded HFC’s recent march to victory at the All Island ‘A’ Division Inter Schools Basketball Championship, defeating a strong St Joseph’s Girls’ School Nugegoda team, which had claimed the tournament for the past six consecutive years.
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| Keyasha and Yasara in action against St. Joseph’s GS last week. | |
Skipper Keyasha, who had an outstanding game at the final, was selected the ‘Player of the Final’, while her younger sister Yasara also played a pivotal role in the victory which was duly recognized when she was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the Championship trophy.
Keyasha and Yasara come from a sporting family, with their mother Aasha, a Familian herself, representing the school in athletics, basketball and netball before going on to captain the Sri Lanka Netball Team at the World Championship in 1987.
Their father, Colonel Vikum, a Royalist, was the Vice Captain of the Sri Lanka team at the Asian Youth Basketball Championship in 1977 and represented his alma mater in athletics, rugby and volleyball in addition to basketball. Vikum’s brother Palitha too was a double international, donning the Sri Lanka jersey in rugby and basketball.
Like her uncle, Keyasha too has achieved the rare honour of representing Sri Lanka in two sports. She captained the Sri Lanka team at the Asian Youth Women’s Basketball Championship in Malaysia in 2012 in addition to representing the Sri Lanka Schools team at the Waverly International Schools Netball Championship in Australia also last year
Her first taste of international action came when she was selected to represent the country at the first World Youth 3×3 Basketball Championship in Italy in 2011 and she was also the Vice Captain of the Sri Lanka team at the Asian Girls under 16 Basketball Championship held in China in 2011 and was a member of the National Team at the Inaugural Asian Youth 3×3 basketball Championship in Thailand in 2013.
In 2009, she led her school team to the All-Island Inter-Schools ‘A’ Division Under 15 Basketball Championship. On that occasion too she performed exceptionally, winning the ‘Most Valuable Player of the Championship’ award.
Sixteen-year-old Yasara has been following in the footsteps of her elder sister. She was a member of the Sri Lanka team at the Asian Under 16 Girls’ Basketball Championship in 2011, the Asian Youth Women’ Basketball Championship in Malaysia in 2012 and the Asian Youth 3×3 Basketball Championship in Thailand in May 2013.
The present day sports stars of Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya, Keyasha and Yasara are no doubt the pride of the school today and the unique feat of the Siriwardana family, with all four members of the family representing the country in sports, is indeed a proud achievement for the nation.
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