The Sri Lanka Netball Federation (SLNF) conducted trials for the Netball World Championships, to be held later this year in Sydney Australia, at the St. Joseph’s College Indoor Complex in Maradana on the 25th and 26th of April.
“The trials were preceded by talent identification programmes held during the course of the last month or so in Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna, Polonnaruwa and Badulla.”
Sri Lanka qualified for the World Championships after finishing as runners up at the Asian Netball Championships that were held in September last year. This was, incidentally, the last international tournament the team participated in.
Speaking exclusively to ThePapare.com, National Sports Council member Caryll Tozer praised the efforts of the Interim Committee: “Within one month this interim committee has really worked very hard. They organized trials in six centres across Sri Lanka, which is the way it should go; otherwise a lot of those people don’t get a chance. They travelled out there to ensure that they get some decent players to give them a chance. Also they brought in some umpires from Badulla, to give them a chance. I’m very happy about this interim committee.”
Over the course of the 2 day trial, the national selection committee comprising of Chairperson Chandrani Pathiraja, Sakunthala Wijethunga, Seetha Ramani, Thisangani Kodituwakku and Rohini Perera have been able to narrow down the pool to a 30 member squad, along with 5 standby players. They will now proceed to train under a newly appointed coaching staff. The selectors are expected to cut down the squad to 15 players by the end of June and eventually name the final 12 player squad, which will travel to Sydney, in the first week of July.
Sri Lanka will be without the services of veteran former captains Sashika Samarasinghe and Tharjini Sivalingam, who were not present at the trials. Among those in the squad are former vice captain Gayani Dissanayake, Thilini Wattegedara, Deepika Abeykoon, Kanchana Jayaweera, C. S. W. Jayasuriya, Dharshika Abeywickrema and Thisala Algama, who represented the team at last years Asian Championships.
Sri Lanka face a daunting task at the World Championships as they have been drafted into group C and will face the Asian giants Singapore as well as South Africa and Malawi in the group stage matches. The group winners and runners up will progress to the second round.
Sri Lanka 30 Player Squad
1. Ishara Hasanthi Ruwankumara
2. Hasitha Lakmali Mendis
3. Deepika Dharshani Abeykoon
4. Varnija Paramalingam
5. Risuri Wijesundera
6. A. L. Dulanga Dananji
7. P. Ashwini
8. Thisala Tharani Algama
9. S.P. Lakmali Chandrasiri
10. C. S. W Jayasuriya
11. Shyamali Ratnayake
12. K. B. K. S. Alwis
13. Dilshani Cabraal
14. Thilini Wattegedara
15. Niroshini Paiva
16. P. A Viraji Chamarika
17. Dinushika Lakmali Bandara
18. M. A. Shehani Alwis
19. H. K. G. G Amarawansa
20. Elilenthini Sethukavalar
21. W. M. K. Priyadarshini
22. Darshika Lakmali Abeywickrema
23. U. G. Sureka Kumari
24. Omedha Dilrukshi
25. H. E. C. Perera
26. J. K. Kanchana Jayaweera
27. Gayani Dissanayake
28. Nivanka Perera
29. W. G. Kaushalya Wijesuriya
30. H. M. Dushani Bandara
Players on Standby
1.G. M. S. K Gunaratne
2.H. D. Mandira Charuni
3. A. Nilushika Nadhi
4.Hiruni Malsha Kasthuriarachchi
5.J. A. Hemamala Damayanthi
