59 talented players spotted
The champion Sri Lanka Navy netball team
Sri Lanka Navy lasses created history when their netball team secured the championship title for the first time at the National Netball Championships concluded at Anuradhapura over the weekend.
Eighteen teams participated in the two day tournament. Sri Lanka Navy secured the championship title edging out Sri Lanka Air Force by a single digit, the final score being 53-52 after a hectic struggle.
The champion Sri Lanka Navy team is coached by Somitha De Alwis, a former Sri Lanka skipper and player. At the last edition of this conest in 2013 Sri Lanka Army was the champions. This time, however, they did not take part in the contest, as they had not qualified to take part in the event.
Both the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force are from the State Services Netball Association and in the final Sri Lanka Air Force led the first three sets at 12-9, 11-11 and 11-11 which goes to show that the final was a neck and neck struggle.
In he final and the deciding set the Sri Lanka Navy edged through by 13-12 to emerge winners. This was the only set that the Navy team won and with it they bagged the coveted title.
The score at the end of the fourth set the scores were deadlocked at 44 goals each and the match at the end of normal time was drawn.
The game was stretched to extra time by the referees and this too went almost to the wire and Sri Lanka Navy with a last gasp win triumphed at 9-8. The full score of the game was thus 53-52 in favour of the Sri Lanka Navy girls.
Dulangi Wannithilaka of the Sri Lanka Navy, who played an outstanding game was crowned the Netball Queen. The Best Shooter was Lakmali Bandara of the Sri Lanka Navy and the Best Center Court player was Thilini Wattegedera of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The Best Defender was Deepthika Dharshani of the Sri Lanka Navy.
In the play off for the third place Kothalawela Defence University gave an outstanding display to down Sri Lanka Ports Authority 45-18.
Runners-up the Sri Lanka Air Force team
The tournament was held as a talent search for the Tenth Asian Senior Netball Championships to be held in Thailand from July 30 to August 7 this year. Usually the Nationals are held mid year but due to the Asian Championships the Nationals were advanced.
Other than the Chairman of the National Netball Selection Committee Chandrani Pathiraja the others agreed to stage the Nationals in early February.
“We have unearthed 59 talented players. There are another 29 players in the National Pool. Altogether the players will commence their training after the South Asian Games (SAG),” said President of the Sri Lanka Netball Federation Yasa Ramachandra.
Even though the Anuradhapura District Netball Association said that they will help the Netball Nationals there was no visible help from this association. The event took place at the Anuradhapura North Central Province Sports Complex.
Usually the charges are Rs. 10,000 for the event but the Sri Lanka Netball Federation had to pocket out Rs. 60,000 for the event stated an official of the Sri Lanka Netball Association.
The Mayor of the Anuradhapura Municipal Council Somadasa was shocked at the amount charged for the use of the Sports Complex.
The event was organised by the Anuradhapura District Netball Association but no official other than the President Minister Chandrani Bandara took part in the organizational aspects of it.
The winning Sri Lanka Navy team: Hasitha Mendis (Capt), Deepika Abeykoon (vice-capt), Gayani Dissanayake, Dulangi Wannithilaka, Nilushika Nadi, Asangi Fernando, Shamali Ratnayake, Lakmali Bandara, Dushani Bandara, Dharshani Kulatunga, Monisha Rajini and Janitha Ediramanne.