Holy Family, Kurunegala netballers make a clean sweep

Stanley SENEVIRATNE Kurunegala North Group corr

Holy Family Balika Vidyalaya, Kurunegala swept the boards by winning five titles at the 17th Milo National Netball Championship which concluded at the D. B. Welegedara Stadium Kurunegala on Monday.

This championship saw 336 teams participating which was conducted over three days by the Sri Lanka School Netball Association and sponsored by Nestle, Sri Lanka.

Holy Family Balika qualified to play in five finals and emerged champions winning all of them. They bagged the under 12, 14 and 16 titles in 'A' Division Category and also clinched the under 14 and 16 titles in the 'B' Division Category.

Their performances was a great achievement and something special as Holy Family Balika started playing netball only in 2004. The outstation schools dominated the tournament as girls high school emerged under 18 champion in the 'A' Division Category.

Ketapathwehera MV another rural school in Kurunegala District emerged the Under 12 champion in the 'B' Division Category with Lindsay BV Bambalapitiya being the only school from Colombo District to win a title by winning the Under 18 title in the same category.

Holy Family Balika Kurunegala was rewarded for their overwhelming effort when they were declared the overall champions of the tournament having received 24 points while Girls High School became runners up with 13 points.

Two players from the champion team Ruhansi Minna and Dulengi Chamathka were adjudged the most outstanding players in the under 12 and 16 categories while Gayanjali Amarawansa of Girls High School and Vinuri Ranasinghe of Visaka were picked as the best in the under 14 and 18 categories.

Results:-

Semi Finals Division 'A'
Under 12 - Ave Maria Convent Negombo beat Musaeus. Holy Family Balika Kurunegala beat Kalutara MV.,
Under 14 - Girls High School beat Kalutara MV, Holy Family Balika Kurunegala beat Musaeus.
Under 16 - Holy Family Balika beat Visakha Vidyalaya. Musaeus beat Kalutara MV
Under 18: Visakha Vidyalaya beat Kalutara MV Girls High School beat Maliyadewa Kurunegala

Final Division 'A'
Under 12: Holy Family Balika Kurunegala beat Ava Maria Convent, Negombo (12-5)
Under 14: Holy Family Balika Kurunegala beat Girls High School, Kandy (17-12)
Under 16: Holy Family Balika Kurunegala beat Musaeus (33-17)
Under 18: Girls High School Kandy beat Visakha (22-20)
Division 'B' Ketapathwehera MV Kurunegala beat Anula Vidyalaya.
Under 14: Holy Family Balika Kurunegala beat Ananda Balika Colombo
Under 16: Holy Family Balika Kurunegala beat D. S. Senanayake Ampara.
Under 18: Lindsay Balika Colombo beat Holy Family Balika Kurunegala.