Manisha leads hockey team to Bangkok

S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy Sports Correspondent

Manisha Welaratne of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, will lead a strong 20 member under 18 Sri Lanka junior hockey team for the Asia Cup hockey championship to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from September 16 to 26.

This championship held for the fourth time, every two years will see some of the best countries in action at junior level. Sri Lanka will play in the Group B along with countries like India, China, Malaysia, Kazakhastan. Group A will feature Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Chinese Taipei. This is the second time in which Sri Lanka will be participating in this championship and the last time they finished sixth in the overall standings.

The team had a four week residential training at the Nandamithra International Hockey Stadium in Matale which is the only astro turf grounds in Sri Lanka at present. The young lasses were put through their paces by that top hockey coach from the hills M.A.M. Ashroff who will also accompany the team as the coach.

The team will be led by 17 year old Manisha Welaratne of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo who will play as a left inside and has put up some inspired performances in the local tournament matches.

Her deputy will be Dilhani Karunanayake of Christ Church College, Matale. She will play in her pet position as left back.

The other member of the team are Nilusha Weerasinghe (Seetha Devi BV), Suchitha Witharana (Visakha Vidyalaya), Kankunthala Illeperuma goal keeper (Seetha Devi BV), Gayathri Mayadunne (Musaeus College), Suvuni Weerasinghe (Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya), Shashinika Bandara (Pushpadana BV), Anarka Borham (Janadhipathi Vidyalaya, Nawala), Jeewanthi Jayaratne (Pushpadana BV), Randima Hewage (Musaeus College), Samadara Chandrika (Seetha Devi BV), Keshani Herath (St. Anthony's Girls College, Kandy), Nawanjana Ekanayake (Sri Sangamittha BV, Matale), Nadeesha Dilrukshi (St. Anthony's Girls College, Kandy), Lakmini Bandara (Christ Church College, Matale), Lushani Mahanama (Sri Sangamittha BV, Matale), Sanduni Umesha (Janadhipathi Vidyalaya, Nawala), Sarani Thillakaratne (Ladies College, Colombo), Lakshitha Kodituwakku (Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya).