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| Sunday, 14 April 2002 |
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Interim Committee keen to uplift standard of netball by LESLIE FERNANDO Netball will receive a much needed facelift and tremendous boost with the Interim Committee for netball headed by a former President of the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka - Tamara Dharmakeerthi Herath and the other two members Anoma Jayawardena and Suranganie Wijendra going flat out in implementing several new promotional plans for the benefit of the game. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Johnstone Fernando dissolved the NFSL due to various irregularities and the Minister appointed the interim committee for netball. The Interim Committee for Netball met few a days back and discussed several important issues for the promotion of netball in the country. The first task is to help the netballers in training for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Manchester, England in July-August this year said Tamara. The netball squad will remain with the Sports Ministry. However, the Federation will assist them with the outside resources for a recovery period, provide a doctor for the team along with physiotherapist. The Interim Committee said that the team should have begun training immediately after the Asian Netball Championships in July last year but the training started only in late November. A sponsor is to be found for the team and the players will be given the opportunity to get acclimatised to English conditions. It is likely the team will play several matches in a foreign country for adequate match exposure and also get used to playing in different environment. The team will play with several foreign countries in May," said Tamara. At the moment 29 players are in training under Yasa Ramachandra, Padma Gunawardena and Chandranie Pathiraja. The squad will be pruned down to 12 plus the 6 stand byes. All 18 will train together. If the performances of the first 12 players drop, the other six players performances will be taken into consideration. The selection committee approved by the Sports Ministry - Chandrani Pathiraja, Muthulakshmi Ehagoda, Pushpa Tillekaratne and Priyanka Peiris will be watching the performances of pool players closely from now onwards. Ten teams will battle-it-out at the Commonwealth Games Netball Championships and Sri Lanka will play in Pool 'A' along with Canada, Wales, New Zealand and England. Sri Lanka is expected to win over Wales and Canada. The Interim Committee has nominated Yasa Ramachandra to proceed to Adelade Australia to follow a new rules release workshop from April 15 to 10. Earlier the workshop scheduled to be held in Singapore and Sri Lanka was asked to send two persons but the second party according to reports is unable to make it due time factor. The All-Australia Netball Association will be conducting the workshop. The Interim Committee discussed the development plan. Budgets are to be drawn up and a sponsor found without burdening the sports ministry. NAASU will also establish the Development pool, the Senior 'Pool' and the 'Junior Pool' would be got up for the Asian Youth Netball Championships 2002 to be held in October in Malaysia. Several other projects for the promotion of netball will also be implemented. The schools netball program will be expanded, the district netball associations will be improved, the outstation clubs will be provided with all facilities. An effort will also be made to promote netball in Jaffna and also in the North and East. |
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