Sri Lanka well prepared for Five Nations Netball C'ships
By Leslie Fernando
NETBALL: Sri Lanka will participate at the Five Nations Netball
Championships in Singapore from September 3 to 8. The championship is
hosted and conducted by the Singapore Netball Association with the
sanction by the Asian Netball Federation.
Sri Lanka, together with national teams from Canada, North Ireland,
Trinidad & Tobago and Singapore will play in the championships.
Sri Lanka players were picked by the national selectors headed by
Yasa Ramachandra (Chairperson), Suranganie Wijendra, Kimudini Gomes, K.
D. Champa Ranjani and Sandya Jayasuriya.
The squad - Gayanthri Lankathilaka (Captain), Sashika Samarasinghe
(Vice Captain), Damayanthi Jayatilleke, Sanduni Bollegola, Tharani
Sivalingam, Chamali Perera, W. M. N. M. Dhammika, Prescila Koch,
Kumarine Silva, Anjana Kulari, J. K. K. D. Jayaweera, M. G. C. K.
Galappaththi are training under National coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe and
assistant coach Padma Gunawardena at Thalawathupita Sports Complex in
the mornings, as well as in the evenings. Hyacinth Wijesinghe said that
our team, who fared well, winning the Tri-National Netball Championships
played in June at the Sugathadasa Stadium, is training hard and their
progress is encouraging.
Hyacinth added that she is planning to play several practice matches
for the players to improve their skills and techniques. Film shows on
netball and netball matches have also been arranged to correct the
players style and study the strong and weak points of the players.
"I have told the players that the game of netball is a team sport and
the players should not for individual glory.
They are being taught to maintain hundred percent physical fitness,"
coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe said and that the progress of our girls'
training in passing, jumping for the ball, catching and shooting has
improved tremendously.
Three 'standbyes' Akila Jayawardena, Nishanthini Ruwanlekha and
Chamila Jayawardena are also training with other 12 players.
The team has been approved by the Sports Ministry.
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