Sri Lankan lass Anuji in Qatar women's cricket team 

By Hishan Welmilla

We have witnessed few Sri Lankans representing national teams in various sports; Anuji Senalka Hettiarachchi is yet another Sri Lankan who has received this rare opportunity. She represents the Qatara National Cricket team and has shown women’s cricket a brighter future.

With Qatar Women’s Cricket team 

Born to Sampath and Dhammika Hettiarachchi, Sri Lankan parents residing in Qatar, Anuji was lucky to have her talent identified when representing her school, Stafford Sri Lanka School, in Doha Qatar. She represented her school in an inter school cricket tournament in 2011 and her potential was identified by the then Qatari Women’s cricket team coach, another Sri Lankan, Aruna De Silva 

“During this tournament, Aruna De Silva, spoke to me, my father and our school Physical Education Instructor Darshana Edirisinghe and invited me for national Cricket practices. My interest, talent and luck together with the guidance of Aruna De Silva got me the opportunity to represent the Qatar National Women’s Cricket team, under-19 category as a bowler in 2012,” Anuji explained.  

So far she has toured Thailand, Kuwait and Oman with the Qatar national Women’s team

She was a student of Yasodara balika Visdyalaya in Borella before taking wings to Qatar with her parents. She then joined one of the best expatriate’s schools in Doha – Stafford Sri Lanka School (SSLD) in 2009. Her education and sports activities got a new dimension as she joined the school with the help from the founder Chairman of SSLD Kumudu Fonseka who transformed SSLD to a multi cultural education institute within a span of 10 years.

As a bright student of the SSLD, Anuji has excelled in other sports as well; she plays volleyball, basketball, throw-ball and is involved in athletics representing her alma mater while holding the responsibilities of the post of Games Captain of the school and Captain of the Girls’ Volleyball team of SSLD.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay my gratitude to my loving parents, my younger sister, the principal of my school Rienzie Nanayakkara, chairman of the School board Kumudu Fonseka , Physical Education Instructor Darshana  Edirisinghe, my teachers who encouraged and supported me generously and my colleagues too. Special thanks to present Coach Shivani Mishra and Mariam Mangaliag Khan for helping me and taking care of me, guiding me throughout all the tournaments. Finally, I honour Aruna De Silva for opening the door for me in International cricket,” Anuji concluded.  

Anuji Senalka Hettiarachchi in action

Anuji Senalka Hettiarachchi