Football: Young Lankan lasses leave for SAFF Women’s Championship in India

Sri Lanka will take on Maldives in their opening match of the 4th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship in Siliguri, India, on Sunday (25). 

The tournament will take place from December 26 to January 4, with 7 South Asian countries in the competition. 

Sri Lanka are in Group ‘A’, along with Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan, while Group ‘B’ has India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. 

Sri Lanka’s 2nd match will be on December 28 against Bhutan, and the last match against Nepal. 

The semi-finals will be on January 2 with the Final scheduled for January 4. 

Sri Lanka is captained by Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) I.L.E.K. Liyanage, with Sri Lanka Air Force's (SLAF) Imesha Withanage as her Deputy. Sri Lanka Football Federation Secretary, Balendra Anthony said the team is young and talented and a good result could be expected from them. 

The Team: K.A.J.L. Silva, C.S. Francis, I.M. Withanage (Vice-Captain), and T.K. Angela (All of SLAF), A.C. Sarukkali, A.A.N. Kumari, R.D.L.R. Gunawardana, M.K. Godawelage, K. Praveena Maduki Perera, T.A.D. Thushani Madushika, D. Leelanthi, and H.G.N. Kumari (All of Sri Lanka Navy), A.M.A.S. Wijeratne, I.L.E.K. Liyanage (Captain), K.D.N.C. Karunaratne, H.W.W.P. Dayananda (All of SLA), G.C. Madushani, S.G.S.S. Subasinghe, R.M. Chalani Kumari Ekanayake, and H.A. Thilini Jayasinghe (All of Sri Lanka Police). 

Officials: Gamini Madurawala (Manager), W.V. Leo Fernando (Assistant Manager), M.R.M. Jusmin (Head Coach), T.G.D.K. Samarasinghe (Assistant Coach), Jude Karunarathna (Goalkeeping Coach), M. G. Saumya D. Hemachandra (Physios).