SLAF and MSB win men and women’s titles
MSBA men's and women's teams with officials
Sri Lanka Air Force Men’s team and Mercantile Services Basketball Association Women’s team emerged as winners at the recently concluded, 51st Senior National Basketball Championships 2016, conducted by the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, at the Depot Police HQ Courts, Bambalapitiya.
Sri Lanka Air Force won the title after 31 years, beating Colombo District Basketball Association in the Men’s final. MSBA the 2015 runners-up finished unbeaten winners, beating Colombo District Basketball Association (50/45) in the Women’s final. The MSBA team was led by Niroshini Paiva from Nations Trust Bank.
The Mercantile women, remained unbeaten in the league stage by beating SL Schools (71/31), SL Army (66/35), SL Air Force (63/46) and Colombo District BA (47/30) and in the semi-finals, they trounced SL Army (76/36).
In the play off for the 3rd place, SL Army beat SL Air Force.
MSBA’s Anjali Ekanayake was adjudged as the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.
The players bestowed with the ‘all star’ status were: Anjali Ekanayake, Kumarine Silva, Prasadi Fonseka and Jayaliya Kumari from MSBA, Premila Fernando, Solanga Gunawijeya from CDBA and Erandi Gallage from SL Air Force; National player Natasha Perera from MSBA excelled with her athletic speed and accurate shooting but was overlooked as an all star.
The MSBA team was coached by National coach, T.M. Amath, assisted by Rasitha Fernando. The MSBA Men’s Team the defending Champions, led by National Player Roshan Fernando from DFCC Bank finished third, beating Hambantota District BA (52/45)
The MSBA Men were well set to retain the title as they finished their group matches unbeaten, beating Gampaha District (67/66), SL Schools (62/58), SL Navy (75/64) and the formidable Colombo District (58/51); but they had to surrender the title as they went down fighting to Sri Lanka Air Force by a single point (74/73).
SL Air Force went on to win the Men’s Senior Nationals title, beating Colombo District Basketball Association in the Final. Bestowed with the ‘all star’ status were: Ravi Dodangoda and Gavi Cooray from SLAF, Sudesh Paiva, Amila Ratnayake and Chamoth Dhanawansa from Colombo district BA, Roshan Fernando, Thushan Dharmasena, Thimothi Nithushan and Clinton Stallone from MSBA and Shivanga de Silva from SL Schools BA.
The robust, Anthony Venito from SLAF was adjudged as the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, but surprisingly did not qualify to be an all star. Â Â - LR