Major plans to boost Netball
Sanjeewani Wanasinghe
The Sri Lanka Netball Federation has launched a programme to put Sri Lanka as the Number One Nation in Netball.
The reason to launch this programme is due to the fact that Sri Lanka has won the Asian title on four occasions. They were in 1989, 1997, 2001 and 2009. From 2009 onwards Sri Lanka lost the chance of winning the Asian title on two occasions. They were 2012 and 2014. In July this year Sri Lanka will be competing in an Asian Championship for the third time to be held in Thailand. In the competition held in Hong Kong 2015 at the Ninth Youth Asian Championships Sri Lanka emerged champions and thus qualified for the 2017 Bosnia World Youth Netball Championships.
Other than that Sri Lanka is billed to take part in the Nations Cup Netball Tournament to be held in Singapore from September 4 to 10. Thus Sri Lanka Netball faces three main challenges this year and in 2017. With this in view the Sri Lanka Netball Federation headed by President Yasa Ramachandra and the rest of the committee has drawn up a plan to rev up the game and permission has been granted from the rest of the committee towards this plan which is to be put before the Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera for ratification shortly. According to this plan taking part in international tournaments and to conduct local tournaments take pride of place.
There is also the plan to develop players, coaches and umpires in this programme. Also plans afoot to restructure the administration. In conclusion there will be an awards ceremony for umpires, all players (past and present national players) and coaches. This was stated by the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Netball Federation Sanjeevani Wanasinghe. It was Sanjeevani who had presented this plan to bolster the game in the island. It is estimated that Rs, 74 Million will have to be utilised towards this project. The Sri Lanka Netball Federation (SLNF) is hoping to raise this fund through sponsors. The SLNF is hopeful that the Sports Minister too will give his wholehearted support towards this project.
Prior to this in 2013 the People’s Bank came forward as sponsors providing Rs.223 Lakhs for an year. The Secretary of the SLNF Sanjeevani Wanasinghe is former Sri Lanka netball player having represented Sri Lanka at the World Cup in England (1995) and in 1997 she was a member of the winning 1997 Asian Championships in Singapore. She has been on several international tours to India, New Zealand, Australia and Brunei. She has been functioning as the Secretary of the SLNF from 2015 onwards. She was also the Manager of the Sri Lanka team which won Asian Youth championship title in Hong Kong last year. She is also the Secretary of the Mercantile Netball Association and has served as a national netball selector.
Currently she is attached to the Sampath Bank Head Office as an Executive Officer. Sanjeevani is of the opinion that we must win the Asian title in Thailand this year. “We are working towards it. A pool has been formed. It stood at 89 talented players at one time and has now been whittled down to 39. Now we have put them into fitness training. We have also finalised plans regarding a coach and even the administration is now working hard to put Sri Lanka firmly ahead in the game. Then there is the Nations Cup which we have received after several years to Singapore. We are planning to put forward a combined and balanced team for this,” concluded Sanjeevani.
Major plans for 2016
Main Compititions International
Asian Netball Championship-2016; Nations Cup-Singapore; Asian Youth Qualifying Round – Korea.
Local
Nationals, Open Club Tournament, Junior Nationals, Inter Association,
Inter Training Center Carnival, Shooting Competition of Shooters.
Players Development
National Pool for Asian Championship, 12-15 Training Centres Island wide, Development Pool – above 20 years, Youth Pool: 18- 20 Years, Centralised National Pools, Development Pool – above 20 years, Youth Pool: 18- 20 Years.
Coaches Development
Fresh coach’s Programme and Seminar, Coaches’ Work Shop, Practical Test
Award Ceremony, Foreign Coaches’ work shop
Umpires’ Development
Umpires’ Exam (Held in December), Paper Marking, Practical Test| Award Ceremony, Seminar for New Rules, Foreign Umpiring course in SL
Administrators Development
Get-together of all member Associations’ Presidents, Secretaries and Treasures.
National Award Ceremony
Felicitation for former National players
Umpires and Coaches, Award ceremony for Asian winners