Youth netballers prove a point
The Sri Lanka Netball Federation is to form a strong pool consisting of 30 players on January 15, 2016. The pool will consist of the 12 players who won the Asian Youth Netball Championships in Hong Kong this month and other senior outstanding players.
This pool is being formed in readiness for the Tenth Asian Senior Netball Championships to be held in Thailand from July 30 to August 7 – 2016. Following on the success of the Youth Netball team who brought home the Asian Youth Netball title, the Sri Lanka Netball Federation is keen as mustard that Sri Lanka is successful at the Senior Netball Championships in Thailand as well.
Sri Lanka lost the Senior Netball Championships to Singapore in 2012 in Colombo and in 2014 to Singapore in Singapore. Sri Lanka possesses very talented players at school level at the youth level and the senior level. Sri Lanka sole aim is to win the Senior Asian Netball title in 2016. All this is being done so that Sri Lanka can qualify for the World Netball Championships in 2018 at a venue to be decided upon.
Sri Lanka bagged three main awards at the Asian Youth Championships in Hong Kong. Gayanjali Amarawansa won the award for the Best Wing Attack. Dilshani Cabraal was declared the Best Defending Player and the Sri Lanka team was adjudged the Best Team of Asia.
Sri Lanka emerged champions at the Ninth Asian Youth Netball Championships in Hong Kong on an unbeaten note defeating defending champions Malaysia 53-48, by five goals. The set scores were: 10-12, 12-12, 16-12, 15-12. With this victory Sri Lanka qualified to take part in the World Youth Netball Championships 2017 in Botswana. Malaysia, who took second place and Singapore who were placed third also qualified to take part in the Botswana Youth Netball Championships.
The Sri Lanka team led by Gayani Dissanayake who won a netball title after 13 years received a red carpet welcome when they touched down at the Bandaranaike International Airport where top officials from the Sri Lanka Netball Federation and the Sports Ministry welcomed them.
On December 29 the netball team will be felicitated at the Sports Ministry Auditorium by the Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera where the players will be in line for cash awards of Rs. One and a Half Million. Team players will receive Rs. Hundred thousand each while Coach Tamara Dissanayake will receive a cash award of Rs Three hundred thousand.
Team Captain Gayani Dissanayake said that the team was a blend of youth and experience which helped the side to win over all opposition at the competition. “Now that we won the Youth Netball title our next aim should be to win the Asian Senior Netball title to be held in Thailand from July 30 to August 7 – 2016. We were unable to win the last two competitions in 2012 and 2014. Now it is our turn to show our strength,” she beamed.
Coach Tamara Liyanage whilst being interviewed said that more than the credit that she gained it was the Sports Science of the game that was successful. “I toiled whilst training the team for four months. It was not the team that I received at the start but a completely revamped side that took part in the tournament and emerged Group champions and ultimately won of the Asian tournament,” she said. “I had a good plan. Nobody interfered with it. Ultimately Sri Lanka were the winners,” concluded Tamara.
Team Manager Sanjeewani Wanasinghe, also a player who has represented at World Cup competitions, said that her experience helped to manage the team well. There was no problems whatsoever from the team. They were well disciplined which made victory easy for us. Sanjeewani played for Sri Lanka at the 1995 World Cup in England.
President of the Sri Lanka Netball Federation Yasa Ramachandra said that this victory by the Sri Lanka Netball team is a personal victory for her. She emphasised that the next target is to win the Asian Senior Netball Championships to be held in Thailand and to bring Sri Lanka to the Number One spot in netball. “After that I am willing to relinquish my post,” stated Yasa.
Yasa Ramachandra was extremely happy at Sri Lanka winning the Asian Youth Netball title but she was sad that Sri Lanka lost the chance of holding the president’s post at the Asian Federation of Netball Association (AFNA). Sri Lanka’s Lakshmi Victoria was the earlier president. Lakshmi’s nomination was rejected by the Sri Sports Ministry and Yasa Ramachandra’s nomination was rejected by the ex-co of the AFNA. On an unexpected note Veronica Arnold of Hong Kong was elected AFNA president. Veronica is a former vice-president of the AFNA.