NFSL to popularise netball in rural areas

Ashani Senaratne - General Manager, Marketing, Dialog Axiata PLC and Victoria Lakshmi, President, Netball Federation of Sri Lanka handover the championship trophy to Kurunegala HFC team skipper Taniya Gunasekara. Also in the picture from left: Superintendent of Police KD Chandrapala - Deputy Director, Police College, Aralaganwila and Lahiru Promod, District Manager, Polonnaruwa, Regional Operation, Dialog Axiata PLC

Holy Family Convent Kurunegala emerged champions of the Dialog Junior National Netball Championship which concluded in Polonnaruwa recently. 29 teams from across the country took part in this tourney and it turned out to be a huge success, said President of the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka (NFSL) Victoria Lakshmi in an exclusive interview with Daily News.

This time we had good participation with teams from Jaffna, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi and Manner. Jaffna team became group runner up. We wanted to popularise this sport especially in rural areas and that was the main reason to shift this event to Polonnaruwa”, said Netball chief Victoria Lakshmi.

“Our best Goal Shooter Tharjani Shivalingam is from Jaffna and we have to launch a talent search in Northern, Eastern, Southern and North Western Provinces as well as Western Province and Central Province. Our intention is to select the best team from this junior level. We have to play the Asian Junior championship in South Korea and the World Junior Netball championship in New Zealand next year and our target is to win the Asian Junior title. Already appointed Amalka Gunatilleke as the National Junior Netball coach and hope to appoint Selection Committee to form Junior National pool as well as Senior National pool to focus on next year’s World Cup in South Africa”.

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe was the chief guest at the Junior National Championship and a coaching camp was conducted by former National coach Deepthi Alwis and National Sport Science Institute’s strength and conditioning lecturer Ravindra Jeewantha and this coaching camp was highly appreciated by the Sports Minister, said Victoria Lakshmi.