HNB netballers reign supreme at National Championships

Chris DHAMBARAGE

NETBALL: The star studded Hatton National Bank team further underlined their superiority in the domestic netball scene by winning the senior national title for the 12th successive year.

Last week they produced a scintillating performance to beat Keep Fit Sports Club in the final worked off at the Maliga grounds in Kurunegala.

Hatton National Bank remained unbeaten throughout the two day competition and also carried away three top individual awards the best centre, best shooter and the netball queen of the year.

The team of course was led by Sumudumalee Geekiyanage and the team included four other national players Anjana Kulari, Gayathri Lankatilleke, Kumarin Silva and Sashika Samarasinghe.

Hatton National Bank’s success in this tournament was always there because they had a formidable line up with

 plenty of experience in their camp.

Even then this was a tremendous achievement considering the fact that they had maintained this same standard for more than a decade.

They have produced a number of outstanding players during this period and not surprisingly they have also fed the national team with some of the finest netball players over the years.

The secret behind their success is of course the solid foundation where the management have been supporting the team in every aspect of the game.

The players in return have produced the results and have brought a great amount of pride and honour to their company. This year too they lived upto expectations as a champion outfit while brushing aside all opponents to take major honours.

Pabasara Gunasekera one of their key players was named as the best centre court player and Gishanthi Jayakody was picked as the best shooter of the tournament.

In addition Kumarine de Silva was adjudged Netball Queen of the Year.

Incidentally Kumarine de Silva is also one of the star players in the present national basketball team. In the quarterfinals Hatton National Bank defeated Galle 50-12 and in the semifinals they had the better of Puttalam 38-24.

Hatton National Bank have always left their mark in the domestic netball scene and some of the outstanding players they have produced are Anne Weerakkody (secretary), Gayani Jayawardena, Somitha Kumari, Arosha Lankatilleke, Pushpa Eluwawela, Chamila Liyanage, Thushari Kodituwakku, Harshani Vijayalath, Nazleen Hazim, Champa Perera, Anoma Bodaragama, Indika Liyanage, Malini Jayasinghe and Shenika Herman.

The entire team is grateful to the present Chairman and the former Patron of the Hatton National Bank Sports Club Rienzie Wijetilleke who has lendered valuable support for the upliftment of the game in the company.

They also received the proper guidance and the leadership from the Chief Executive Officer R. Thyagaraja and Piyal Hennayake the present President of the Hatton National Bank Sports Club.

They are also grateful to all the former President’s of their Sports Club namely Upali de Silva, Chris Obeysekera, Nilantha de Silva, Prince Nayagam and Gihan Mendis and Mancius Paiva vice president of their Sports Club.