Mahamaya and St. Anthony's Girls College netball champions

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Correspondent

Mahamaya Girls College (under 21) and St. Anthony's Girls College, Kandy (under 15) became champions at the inaugural netball championship for schools and clubs organised by the Kandy District Sports Development Foundation in association with the Kandy District Netball Association and worked off at Police grounds, Kandy, last Saturday and Sunday.

Former Deputy Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Kandy District Sports Development Foundation General Anuruddha Ratwatte and Mrs. Carmen Ratwatte were the Chief Guests and they distributed the awards.

This netball championship was co-ordinated by Maurice Perera along with T. M. P. Kumarihamy, I. R. Tissera, Deva Amunugama, Leslie de Zoysa and was sponsored by People's Bank.

In the under 21 championship finals Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy, scored a close 9-4 win over St. Anthony's girls College, Kandy after leading 5-2 at the breather. The third place was clinched by Vihara Maha Devi Balika Vidyalaya.

The Champions Mahamaya Girls College team comprised Sohini Kumarage, Avindi Udugama, Tilini Edmund, Dharshika Dissanayake, Iresha Amerasinghe, Sanwarani Danthanarayana, Udari Edirisuriya, Nishadi Ekanayake and Chathurika Munasinghe. St. Anthony's Girls College, Kandy, won the girls under 15 championship defeating Vihara Maha Devi Balika Vidyalaya 15-8 in the finals. At half time winners led 7-3. The third place went to little known Udispathuwa Maha Vidyalaya, Rangala.

The winning St. Anthony's Girls College team comprised Madhusha Prematillake, Premothi Rajapakse, Runesha Hettiarachchi, Anisha Himali, Nidari Shronika, Dharshi Sumanatissa, Shamilla Amaranayake, Amadi Samarakoon, Harshani Bogahalanda.

This netball championship saw a large number of rural talent being drawn into the fray through the police divisions in the Kandy district with the lesser known schools too being given a chance to display their skills.

An example of this was when Udispathuwa Maha Vidyalaya from Rangala bordering the Meemure area finishing third in the under 15 championship.

General Anuruddha Ratwatte speaking on this occasion said that netball in the Kandy District at present is not what it used to be in the past when it was on par with Colombo or any other district in the island. Kandy has produced a lot of netball players in the past.

It is the aim of the Sports Development Foundation to bring back netball in Kandy to its pristine glory. This is the objective of the Kandy District Sports Development Foundation. It is through exposure and training that the players could sharpen their skills.