Siyanetharu SC in both National-level VB finals

By Leslie FERNANDO

VOLLEYBALL:Siyanetharu Sports Club of Gampaha - one of the foremost volleyball clubs that has produced several outstanding national-level spikers, qualified to play in both the men’s and women’s finals of the Dialog GSM President’s Gold Cup Volleyball Championships. The tournaments are conducted by the Volleyball Federation of Sri Lanka.

Both finals will be played on Saturday, August 30 at the National Youth Services Council Indoor Stadium at Maharagama starting from 1.30 p.m.

In the Women’s final, Siyanetharu SC, will take on Golden Birds SC Randawana while the men’s final will be between Siyanetharu SC and Siriduwa SC, Seeduwa.

The special feature of the tourney is that all finalists are from Western Province.

A fact that should catch anyone’s notice is that Gampaha ‘Spikers’ have reached the final of a major tournament after a lapse of six years.

Last year, Siriduwa SC, Seeduwa emerged men’s champions while Navodya SC, Bopitiya won the women’s title. But, the women’s champions of last year did not enter this year’s tourney.

The 2007 men’s runners-up Vijaya SC, Koswadiya was placed third in this year’s championships and United SC Nattandiya took the fourth position.

Suhada SC, Pannala and Singha SC, Batawatta, ended third and fourth respectively in the women’s tourney.

This year’s matches were played at district, provincial and national levels and the champions at district and provincial levels were awarded challenge trophies and cash awards.

Altogether 1,024 teams - 732 Men’s and 392 women’s participated in the championships.

The men’s and women’s champions at national level will be presented the president’s Gold Cup and Rupees one lakh and fifty thousand each.

The runners-up will receive rupees one lakh each, the third placed team’s will receive rupees fifty thousand and the fourth placed teams rupees twenty five thousand.