Seven newcomers in senior netball pool

By Leslie Fernando

NETBALL: Seven newcomers have been included to the senior national netball pool in the fifteen selected in preparation for the four-nation tournament to be played from June 15 to 17 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. Selections were made after several trials.

Hyacinth Wijesinghe, the National Coach said that the players have begun training in two sessions (morning and evening). In addition to training the players are involved in swimming, aerobic and weight training under one roof at Austasia Sports Complex to maintain one hundred percent physical fitness.

Sri Lanka, together with national teams from India, Pakistan and Maldives will play in the Four-Nation Tournament. All matches will be played on a league basis and the best two teams will play in the final.

The Sri Lanka National team will also continue training for two other major tournaments. The Five-Nation Tournament in Singapore in August. Besides, Sri Lanka, Canada, Trinidad, Singapore and AIS team from Australia will play in that tournament. According to Hyacinth, Lanka's main target will be Asian Netball Championships to be held in Hong Kong early next year.

The senior national pool: Gayathri Lankatilaka, Susithika Samarasinghe (Hatton National Bank), Damayanthi Jayatillake (SLPA), Dhammika Malkanthi, Sujani Dilrukshi, Tapa Gallapetti (Sri Lanka Air Force), Tharjunee Sivalingam (Seylan Bank), the new comers are - Kumari Silva (HNB), Pracilla Kock (Access), Shyamalee Perera (Torrington SC), Akila Nimmi and Chamila Jayawardena (Sacred Heart Convent, Galle) and Kanchana Jayawardena (Sri Lanka Army).

Development youth pool

The Netball Federation of Sri Lanka also selected the Development Youth Pool in preparation for Asian Junior (under-21) Championships and other international matches to be played here and abroad.

The Development Youth Pool began training on May 29 at Austasia Sports Complex under Deepthi Alwis (coach) and Somitha Kumari (assistant coach). The players will play several practice matches before the Asian Junior Netball Championships.

The Development Youth Pool consists of players from Southern Province (2), Wayamba (1) and Western Province (12) - Yasodara Bandara, Menaka Abeygunawardena (Kalutara BV), Manesha Liyanage, Gayathri Perera, Thaniru Amerasinghe (Newstead College, Negombo), Akila Jayawardena, Noelin Perera, (Sacred Heart Convent, Galle), Anushka Nimali, Selanji Gunavidaya, Sanjeevani Ariyasena (St. Joseph's College, Nugegoda), Nilum Gunasekera, (Visakha Vidyalaya), Marisha Fernando (Holy Family Convent, Wennappuwa), Indapani Dissanayake (Sirimavo Bandaranaiake BV), Vasundara Pathiraja (Anula Vidyalaya), Ishari Harshani (Seylan Bank).

National coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe will also overlook the training of the Development Youth Pool.