- Netball factions settling score with minister
Sri Lanka’s participation at the ongoing Netball World Youth Cup (NWYC) in Gibraltar was unlikely to materialise due to perceived visa delays, while the country may have to incur a fine for failing to take part, confirmed Media Secretary to the Sports Minister, Tuan Nazeer.
He stated that the Sri Lanka Under-21 youth netball team had failed to submit visa applications on time to the British High Commission in Colombo, for the tournament which began on Friday (19).
The Netball World Youth Cup 2025 tournament is being staged in Gibraltar, England from 19-28 September, with the participation of teams from 20 nations.
Sri Lanka had qualified for the competition after being placed third at the 2023 Asian Youth Netball Championship in South Korea.
Tuan Nazeer said that as per rules and regulations governing global tournaments coming under the purview of World Netball (WN), Sri Lanka could be imposed with a hefty fine, if they were to forgo the event in Gibraltar.
Asked who was responsible for the situation, which has forced netballers to kick their heels in isolation, Nazeer promptly blamed it on several factions within the local netball sphere.
The factions within the netball firmament, he charged, were intent on scuttling the opportunities for players, while at the same time striving hard to settle a score with the Sports Minister.
The Media Secretary alleged that the actions of certain factions had intentionally scuppered the tour, and he charged that this had been done with sinister motives.
He attributed it to the minister’s decision to temporarily suspend the registration of the sport’s local controlling body, and bring it under the Sports Ministry, to amend its constitution and pave the way for election of office bearers.
During the NWYC for the preliminary round, teams have been separated into four groups, with Sri Lanka placed in Group C alongside England, Wales, Jamaica, and Tonga.
Sri Lanka was originally scheduled to face England on Saturday (20) and then Wales yesterday (21), Jamaica today (22), and Tonga on Wednesday (24), under a round-robin format.
Meanwhile, World Netball has confirmed that Sri Lanka to date has not officially notified the World Youth Netball Competition Committee of the visa delay.
However, it was previously reported in the press that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had allocated a significant budget for accommodation and catering for the national team’s stay in Gibraltar.
Since Sri Lanka’s netball administration has been defunct for over a year, the Ministry of Sports and the Sports Development Department has been tasked with managing essential governance issues.