Luck wasn’t on our side, but still it felt good – Coach Prasadi
Sri Lanka’s bid for a third consecutive Asian Netball Championship title ended in heartbreak last Sunday as they narrowly lost to Singapore, 64-67, in a thrilling final. Singapore’s victory marks their first Asian Championship title in a decade, preventing Sri Lanka from securing a consecutive win streak after titles in 2018 and 2022 (the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic).
Unlike Sri Lanka, who has not participated in any international tournaments since the 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa, Singapore had gained valuable experience from competing in two key events this year—the Nations Cup and the Pacific Netball Series. Sri Lanka’s head coach, Deepi Prasadi, believes that the lack of competitive exposure was a crucial factor in the narrow loss, a situation made challenging by the country’s economic constraints.
“It’s tough to lose by just three points,” Prasadi said upon her return.
“Our players were phenomenal, especially Thishala Algama, who stepped up as our main goal shooter in the absence of former star Tharjini Sivalingam”.
Coach Nalika prasadi
Sri Lanka’s journey to the final was impressive; they went undefeated through the preliminary rounds, dominating all seven teams they faced. However, the final was a different challenge. Singapore, bolstered by recent match experience, fielded a more seasoned squad. Sri Lanka, by comparison, had only four experienced players: former captain Gayanjali Amarawansa, current captain Dulangi Wannithilake, Gangi Dissanayake, and Algama.
“Our team was young, and most of our players lacked international experience,” Prasadi said.
“Last year, many of these players were in the squad but didn’t get game time, staying on the bench. This was the first tournament where all 12 players got a chance to play in different matches, which was historic for us.”
Prasadi expressed disappointment over the lack of matches against higher-ranked teams this year, a missed opportunity largely attributed to economic difficulties back home. She also acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Sports, despite the overall challenges.
“The players feel that if they had more international exposure, the outcome could have been different. Luck wasn’t on our side that day, but it still felt like a victory,” she added.
Sri Lanka now has a packed calendar for next year, with scheduled tournaments for both junior and senior teams. Prasadi stressed that international match experience will be crucial for future success. Without it, she warned, Sri Lanka’s efforts to reclaim the Asian title could falter once again.