We have no problems against India at Asian Youth Netball
The Sri Lanka Youth Netball team with the Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera and Yasa Ramachandra President Sri Lanka Netball Federation and other officials.
Sri Lanka will have no problem in defeating India in their opening game of the Ninth Asian Youth Netball Championships in Hong Kong tomorrow (Monday December 14) and endingon December 20. This is the view of Sri Lanka captain Gayani Dissanayake. The team left to Hong Kong in the wee hours on Friday.
“We have studied the Indian’s pattern of play and we will have no difficulty in overcoming our neighbours. If we have any problem it will be against Chinese Taipei in our last group B match on December 16. We have not played against Chinese Taipei earlier and it is reliably learnt that they are good basketball players and should be very fit on mid-court. There are three players who represented Sri Lanka at the World Cup in Sydney, including myself. The other two are vice captain Tisala Algama and Gayanjali Amarawansa. We are hoping for a final berth,” stated skipper Gayani Dissanayake. These comments were made by Gayani prior to the team’s departure for the championships.
Skipper Gayani Dissanayake.
Sri Lanka was the runners-up in the last two editions of the Asian Youth Netball Championships held in Brunei (2013) and previously in India (2010). In both contests Malaysia emerged champions. Sri Lanka was champions on two occasions. The first was when Harshani Wijayalath skippered the team and the next was when Sashika Samarasinghe captained the team.
The Hong Kong Netball Association will be the host for the 9th Asian Youth Championships where 12 teams will battle out to secure the top 3 positions to qualify for the Youth Netball Cup to be held in Botswana in 2017.
Team Coach Tamara Liyanage said that the team is very experienced and the only obstacle in their way could be the Chinese Taipei team. She assumed that India are not that strong and could win the game and the only challenge in the contest will be against Malaysia.
Twelve teams are taking part in the seven day competition from December 14 to 20. The groupings are as follows. Group A – Malaysia, Maldives, Japan. Group B – Sri Lanka, India,Chinese Taipei. Group C – Singapore, Brunei, Abu Dhabi. Group D – Hong Kong, Thailand and Pakistan. The teams which has joined newly to the competition are: Pakistan, Chinese Taipei and Abu Dhabi.
The Sri Lanka team: Gayani Samanthika Kumari Dissanayake (Capt), Thisala Tharani Algama (Vice Captain), Gimhani Gyanjali Amarawansa, Dulangi Chamathika Wannitilaka, Ruvini Nissansala Yatigammana, Bashinee Yositha De Silva, Lokuliyanage Dilshani Cabraal, Jayathri Upendra Abysinghe, Nadee Madushika Fernando, Sachini Hirunika Rodrigo, Hashini Eranga Chathurika and Senani Palika. Team Officials: Sanjeevani Wanasinghe (Manager), Tamara Ranjani Liyanage (Coach), Muthulakshmi Ranjani, Layani Renuka Kuruppu, Daminda Kumari Attanayake (Team Doctor).