Sri Lanka tipped to qualify for Fiji World Games

Sri Lanka Youth Netball team hard at training

Asian Youth Netball 

Championship 2019 in Japan

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Sri Lanka Netball outfit led by Tharishi Illangaratne will head for Japan in order to participate at the 11th Asian Youth Netball Championship 2019, which will take place from 30 June to 6 July.

The team, who left the island this morning, will vie for honours to be selected for the 2021 Fiji World Championship. Sri Lanka, on three earlier occasions in 1998, 2002, and 2015, stamped their class to account for the Championship in the Youth Asian level and are expected to do well this year too.  

Ganya Senanayake is the first netball player representing Ladies College in their history. She led the school outfit in 2018, becoming runner-up in the All Island Schools Tournament in the Under 18 segment. The team is coached by Malindhu Gamage. 

Both Tharishi Illangaratne and Melani Wijeyasinghe had previously represented Sri Lanka in the Youth Games, while the latter was a member of the champion Visakha outfit. The majority of the selected players are nursed from the Under 19 development squad, who participated with Kenya, Malaysia and Sri Lanka national sides.

Squad

Ganya Natalie Senanayake (Ladies College Colombo), Kavindi Randima Perera (Presbyterian College), Tharishi Dulangi Illangaratne (Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo), Melani Ama Wijesinghe (Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo), Thilini Dinithri (Seylan Bank), Imasha Sankalpani Perera (SL Navy), Ansiah Dulshani Perera (Gateway College), Vishmikha Nuwangi Ratnayake (Gateway), Navodya Aluwihare (Hillwood College), Devuna Sandini Silva (Kalutara Balika), Uthpala Sanjini Ratnayake (HFC Kurunegala) and Dilini Perera (Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo)

Malindhu Kumari Gamage (Coach)

Vajira Pushpakumari (Manager)