Air Force - netball champions
Yasaratne Gamage
The Sri Lanka Air Force emerged champion in the Vanitha Vasana
Netball Tournament 2013 when they defeated the Ports Authority in the
final by 64 points to 58 at Torrington recently.
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Director General of Sports Ranjani Jayakody is seen here
after presenting the award to Chaturangani Jayasinghe who
was adjudged the netball queen. People’s Bank Sales and
Public Relations Officer Deepal Abeysekara, CEO and General
Manager Wasantha Kumara and SL NF Chairperson Lakshmi
Victoria are also in the picture. |
The tournament was held between 35 teams comprising of players above
18 years of age. Organized by the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka and
sponsored by the People's Bank the tournament saw four groups vie in
league system in the first round. Eight teams qualified for the quarter
finals, battled with each other on knock out basis where the Air Force
lasses and Sri Lanka Ports Authority entered the finals. The Youth
Services Council won the third place. This was the first netball
tournament of the year under the guidance of the newly elected president
of the Sri Lanka Netball Federation, Lakshmi Victoria.
A member of the champion team, Lady Officer Cadet Chathurangani
Jayasundara was crowned the netball queen. Drmini Alwis won the best
shooter of the tournament title. Corporal Sonali Senaratne of the Sri
Lanka Air Force was adjudged the best defender of the tournament while
Sergeant Nimalika Thushani also from the SLAF was rewarded as the best
centre player.
Meanwhile on the opening day of the tournament at Torrington a sum of
Rs 100,000 was presented to each district netball association by the
sponsor, the People's Bank under the patronage of the Sports Minister
Mahindananda Aluthgamage and the People's Bank Chairman Gamini Senarath.
They also presented the national netball players with Vanitha Vasana
bank accounts.
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The champion, Sri Lanka Air Force netball team with the
championship trophy |
The money donated to each district netball association will be used
to organize tournaments and training camps at district level. This will
directly motivate rural players which in turn build up a good pool
island wide to select players for the national team. This initiative
from the People's Bank is seen vital as District Netball Associations
were in need of a sponsor to organize activities to develop netball at
district levels.
On the other hand by providing financial assistance to district
associations the sports ministry hopes to attract more players to the
sport. At present there are more than 500,000 players engaged in sports
including around 7,000 from schools and the programme is aimed at
doubling the figure, sports ministry media sources revealed. |
