Sri Lanka Netball team captain Gayanjali Amarawansa, Vice Captain Dulangi Wannitilleka and head coach Thilaka Jinadasa handing over a special memento to famous Motivator Nalaka Hewa Madduma after a motivation session yesterday. Netball Federation President Victoria Lakshmi and the team members are also present.
Our preparations are high and my team is having good physical and mental fitness for the forthcoming Netball World Cup said National Netball Head coach Thilaka Jinadasa in an exclusive interview with the Daily News yesterday.
We always focused on players mental fitness and mind set has to develop for any sport and famous Motivator Nalaka Hewa Madduma gave good support with lectures to motivate our team while strength and conditional training is done by me as a coach and finally we have to get team doctor service from Sports Medical Unit Director Dr Lal Ekanayake with my assistant coach P.D.N Prasadi and Manager Padmini Horanage who is Netball Federation Treasurer and these support staff as a team are expected to join this tour . The inclusion of Asian best shooter Tharjini Shivalingam (Shiva) to the team is always a big advantage while we have Thisala Algama, another shooter who is four inches less taller than Shiva. Thisala can shoot very well while her ability to pass the ball is an extra advantage and we can use both shooters at this tournament. My captain Gayanjali Amarawansa and deputy skipper Dulangi Wannithilleka have a good understanding with each other and team commitment is very high. Chaturangi Jayasuriya the most experienced former skipper having four world cup experience while three players have world cup experience. There are five world cup debutants but they also have Asian cup experience and my team is well balanced and I have good understanding with selection committee and Netball Federation officials to go on this journey and our plan is to play good Netball said Netball head coach Thilaka Jinadasa.
Sri Lanka Netball team led by experienced player Gayanjali Amarawansa is scheduled to leave for Cape Town, South Africa next Friday (14) and the major tournament will commence from July 28. This is going to be good exposure for our team while this time we are planning to tour Botswana on July 15 for one week training focused on world cup . Actually I am satisfied with our preparation with limited facilities at this hard period but only worry we haven’t International match exposure before this world cup . We planned to tour Australia for training and to play invitation tournament last May but all plans couldn’t work well and now at least Botswana one week training and three matches against Bothwana National team , Police Netball team and Botswana Defence Federation team will provide experience and also help to adjust to conditions before the world cup . Sri Lanka community in Botswana and Botswana Netball Federation give good support for this Botswana tour before the world cup and Netball Federation of Sri Lanka (NFSL) have coordinated very well for all these tours with the support of Sports Ministry said head coach Thilaka Jinadasa who is a former Olympian.
After Botswana short tour we have chance to play with South Africa club team on July 25 at 6.15 pm and thanks to ICC world committee and Netball South Africa to adjust this match which is very important to adjust to conditions before world cup Our first world cup game on opening day against Jamaica the world 4th ranked team while against South Africa world ranked 5 th team and world ranked 19th team Wales and we are more focused on Wales team as we are world ranked 15th at the moment. Every match at this world cup very vital and tough and we are going to focus on every match. Last time in 2015 Sri Lanka finished 15th at the world cup and our first intention is to finish between 12-14 th place this time as all top class teams like Australia, New Zealand, England will compete at this world cup event which is going to be keen tussle said Head coach Thilaka Jinadasa.
We had lot of difficulties to training at indoor facilities and during this short period of six months Sports Ministry provided Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium while Gateway International school provided Indoor Stadium and most of the times we had to go there for training .Dr Harsha Alles Chairman Gateway International gave excellent support while his support and generosity is appreciated on behalf of the Sri Lanka Netball team said Thilaka. The Sports Ministry High Performance Gymnasium provided for the Netball team while its Gym Instructor Asoka Jayasundara and Assistant Sports Director Thilak Aponsu gave good support.
Dhammika Ratnaweera