Sri Lanka determined to win Asian Youth C'ships

Twelve-member Sri Lanka Junior Netball Team left on Friday for Bangalore, India to participate at the 5th Asian Youth Netball Championships to be played from July 24 to 30. The tourney is hosted by Bangalore Netball Association and conducted by the All-India Netball Federation with the guidance of Asian Netball Federation.

Sri Lanka netballers together with India, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong will play in the tournament on a league basis.

The groupings are 'A': Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, India, Maldives

Group 'B': Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan and Nepal.

The champions and runners-up in both groups will play on a criss-cross basis to find the winner.

At the last championships held in 2004 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Malaysia emerged champions defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

The experienced Malisa Shereen Nugera who was a member of the 2004 team and also played at Asian Senior Netball Championships in 2005 is the Sri Lanka captain. She played in the centre position.

Ms. Rio Ramlan, Secretary, Netball Federation of Sri Lanka who will be the Manageress of the team, said that the NFSL selected the best 12 players after holding several trials for the last six months. The players have been at a residential coaching camp for the last two weeks and they are in good shape to perform well at the championships.

Ramlan is a double international, having represented Sri Lanka at netball and basketball. She was also former basketball national selector.

Thilaka Jinadasa, former 100 metres hurdles national record holder and vice captain Asian Netball Championships in 1997, will be the coach while Deepthi Alwis who has represented Sri Lanka at Asian and World Netball Championships and led the Sri Lanka team in 1995 at the 9th World Netball Championships will be the assistant coach.

(L.F)