Netball: Deepthi Alwis tipped to be appointed as new national coach

The Mercantile Netball Association has lodged a protest with the Sri Lanka Netball Federation that whilst selecting the national netball coach leading coach Somitha de Alwis’s application has been rejected and she was not called for the interview.

The Mercantile Netball Association has lodged this complaint with the Director General Sports Development K.D.S. Ruwanchandra asking him to conduct an immediate inquiry regarding this.

Somitha de Alwis has represented Sri Lanka at three world cups – 1995 England, 1999 – New Zealand and 2003 – Jamaica. 

At the Jamaica contest Somitha captained Sri Lanka. 

She has also represented Sri Lanka at three Asian championships. 

Currently she is a national level coach and at the nationals held in Anuradhapura she coached the Sri Lanka Navy team which emerged champions. 

She has also coached the HNB team with great success giving the HNB several national titles. 

She is considered an up-and-coming coach in netball circles.

President of the Mercantile Netball Association Jayanthi Somasekeran de Silva said that she had personally handed over Somitha’s application to the security of the Sri Lanka Netball Headquarters and she had confirmation that the application was received by the security. 

Jayanthi went on to say that the Sri Lanka Netball Federation had not said where the application should be delivered.

The President of the Sri Lanka Netball Federation, Yasa Ramachandra said that the interviews were held on February 26 and four coaches attended the interview. 

They were Deepthi Alwis, P.D. Prasadi, Janaki Gunasekera and Francisca Handapangoda and that they selected coach’s name and had forwarded it to the Sports Minister.

Ramachandra went on to say that Somitha’s application was not received as per instructions to the applicants and that Somitha had forwarded the application by hand and that was the reason why it was rejected.

The coach is being selected for the 10th Asian Senior Netball Championships to be held from July 30 to August 7 in Thailand.

According to reliable sources former national coach Deepthi Alwis’s name has been forwarded to the Sports Minister for ratification.