- Says inactive body had stalled prep
The national netball team head coach Somitha de Alwis says that she is optimistic that Sri Lanka will make an impact at the 14th Senior Asian Netball Championship to be held in Hong Kong China from 6-16 August this year.
Sri Lanka is currently aiming for a top-two finish at the upcoming tournament in Hong Kong China, with it also doubling as the Asian Qualifying round for the Netball World Cup in Australia next year.
According to World Netball (WN) stipulations only the winner and runner-up of the forthcoming Championship will earn qualification to the game’s marquee competition in Down Under in 2027.
“I am optimistic that we (SL) should be able to make our presence felt in Hong Kong,” de Alwis, a former national captain who played in three World Cups (1995, 99 and 2003) told The Daily Morning Sports, in a brief interview.
"I know on the surface it looks pretty challenging and it will not be a joy ride for our girls. And no overseas netball championship has been a stroll in the park for us even in the past. So I presume this will not be an exception. But, I am quietly confident that we should be able to make a good fist of it come August.”
She noted that nations such as Singapore, hosts Hong Kong China, and Malaysia will as usual be fancied to vie for the regional title.
She insisted at the same time that the lack of an elected administration during the past 19-month period for Sri Lanka had stifled the requisite preparations.
“As you know we have not had an elected administration for netball since May of 2024. And due to this reason all domestic tournaments got halted and that invariably is bound to impact on player performances. In that respect, we may be at a distinct disadvantage heading to Hong Kong.”
However, de Alwis, who has only come on board for the upcoming event, asserted that with the ongoing selection trials and training expected to be further streamlined, Sri Lanka – the six times champions may yet stand a chance of ending within the top-two.
But, she acknowledged that during the long lull in the sport here for want of an elected body, other nations in the region such as Singapore, Malaysia and India may have stolen a march over the island-nation.
She said ideally she would prefer an overseas tour to fine tune the team ahead of the Senior Asian Netball Championship, but was not certain whether such a trip could materialise in the limited time ahead of the competition in August.
De Alwis who had won multiple titles as a player cum coach with Hatton National Bank, was also a member of the Sri Lanka team which won the 1997 and 2001 Asian Netball Championships, while having previously served as the national head coach six years ago.
The head coach – an old girl from Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya added that she would gladly accept a foreign consultant coach for the national team considering the stern challenge waiting for them in HK China, but was unsure as to who it would be.
Sri Lanka last won the title in 2022 beating hosts Singapore in the final, while the previous edition was clinched by Singapore who gained sweet revenge over the Lankans in the final held in India two years ago.