Sri Lanka Davis Cup team 2021 for Asia-Oceania Zone Group-III in Jordan: (from left) Renouk Wijemanne (Non-playing Captain and Coach), Chathurya Nilaweera, Yasitha de Silva, Thehan Wijemanne, and Vibuda Wijebandara, with Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) President Iqbal Bin Issack. Photo Ishan Wanniarachchi[/caption]
The five-member Sri Lanka national men’s tennis team is to leave for Amman, Jordan today (7) for the annual world cup of men’s tennis, the Davis Cup.
Sri Lanka is to play in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group-III after they failed to retain their Group-II position last year in Paraguay.
This will be a relatively young Lankan side without their key veterans such as Harshana Godamanna, Dineshkanthan Thangarajah, Sharmal Dissanayake, or Sankha Atukorale.
Thehan Sanjaya Wijemanne, 17, the nephew of prolific Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara and son of former Sri Lanka Davis Cup player Malik-Sanjaya Wijemanne, will play in his second Davis Cup after debuting in the prestigious event last year.
The other two, Vibuda Wijebandara, 20, and Chathurya Nilaweera, 16, are playing for Sri Lanka in the Davis Cup for the first time.
Sri Lanka’s Head Coach and Non-playing Captain Renouk Wijemanne, former Sri Lanka national champion, had played in the Davis Cup five times between 1999-2007.
The Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group-III will be held at the Jordan Tennis Federation outdoor hard courts from 15-18 September.
The tournament will feature Hong Kong, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Pacific Oceania (a region), Qatar, Syria, and Vietnam.
Only two will earn promotion for next tier next year whilst the bottom two will be relegated to Asia-Oceania Group-IV in 2022.