Gandara MV the only school girl football team in Matara
Gandara MV — the only school that fields a female football team in the Matara district have proved their prowess by qualifying to play in the all island under 17 tournament since 2009.
They qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament in 2011.The girl of Gandara MV took to football in 2008 after coach Sarath Amarasinghe assumed duties as PTI of the school. A Gandara MV girl, K B Sanduni Priyadharshani was selected to the Sri Lanka women’s Youth Football pool in 2012 and A T Dilanji Kaushalya in 2013. Both these girls will be drafted to play for the Sri Lanka Navy women’s football team while Sakuni Nivarthana will play for the Air Force team in the future.
Coach Amarasinghe has the assistance of two volunteers in former STC Matara football player S B L Galappaththi and K B Ajith. Oliver Cook a graduate from the University of Durham UK a volunteer for the UK based NGO ‘Heal the Bay of Sri Lanka’ also has been helping out for the past three months. Although the girls of Gandara MV have done their part and proved that they have the mettle and can reach the pinnacle of the game in the under 17 age group they are compelled to train in difficult conditions. It is time that the school ground is given a face lift.
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