Beach volleyballers expected to perform

Bernard PERERA in Lisbon, Portugal

Sri Lankan beach volleyballers who are ranked fourth in the Asian region fielded two men’s teams and two women’s teams.

The team comprising Dhammika Silva and Pabudu Ekanayake (A team) and Mahesh Perera and Wasantha Ratnapala are well experienced and are expected to perform at their best.

Four of them are in peak form upto yesterday according to their coach Prasanna Udyakumara. Udaya Kumara says the toughest opposition is expected to come from the Brazilians.

But if the plans we have in store works well we can be assured of a medal here. So far the players to have shown a good response and have got used to the climatic conditions well.

The conditions here at the Anaro de Oeiras are almost similar to our local beaches and they are happy with them as it could help them in a big way to achieve success.

The women’s team too are hoping to achieve their best with the opportunity given to them to compete at this highest level competition. They too should come out with everything they have in store which they gained while participating in the recently concluded Asian Beach Volleyball tour in Thailand.

The Lankan camp is go out this evening to the beaches in Lisbon with hope of advancing to the next round. The completion is due to commence late in the evening underlights.

Sri Lanka who were placed third in the medals table behind Brazil and the host country Portugal went down a step down yesterday when Angola who won three gold medals and a total of nine medals reached the third place yesterday.

Only nine countries managed to enter the medals table up to Wednesday.

Brazil took the top spot in the medals tally with a total of 61 medals of which 44 medals being won from athletics.

Portugal the host country second placed with a tally of 54 medals though they fielded the highest number of competitors (171). Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s neighbour giant India fielding 72 competitors (47 men, 25 women) so far has managed to win only a single bronze medal and lie at ninth position. (The second largest contingent participating at this games in Brazil which fields competitors for all ten disciplines.

The entries to enter the medal tally are Maccau, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Santo Mai.