Four new players in Sri Lanka netball team

Sanjaya ARIYARATNE

NETBALL: Four new players have been included in the Sri Lanka netball team which will take part in the five nation netball tournament which will be worked off in Singapore from September 3 to 8, 2007. The four new players are Kumarine Silva, Anjana Kulari, J.K.D. Jayaweera and Chapa Galappathi.

Sri Lanka women’s basketball captain Kumarine Silva will become a double international when she represents the country at this tournament. Gayathri Lankatilake who led the Sri Lanka team at the tri nation tournament held in Colombo last month has been picked to lead the Lanka team once again in this tournament.

The Sri Lankan team will be once again coached by Hyacinth Wijesinghe who was one time coach of the Singapore national team.

The five countries which are taking part in the tournament are Sri Lanka, Canada, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago and host nation Singapore. Three players who played for the country at the tri nation tournament - Chamila Jayawardena, Noeline Pereira and Akila Jayawardena have been omitted from the squad while Sujani Dilrukshi who did not attend trials was also left out.

The team: Gayathri Lankatilake (Captain), Sashika Samarasinghe (Vice captain), Damayanthi Jayatilleke, Saduni Bollegala, Tharjanee Sivalingam, Chamali Perera, W.H.N.M. Dhammika, Priscilla Koch, Kumarine Silva, Anjana Kulari, J.K.D. Jayaweera, H.G.C.K. Galappathi.

Officials: Hyacinth Wijesinghe (Coach), Padma Gunawardena (Manageress and Assistant Coach)