Sri Lanka cager teams take wing to Qatar

Sri Lanka National 3x3 basketball teams left for Doha Qatar in the early hours yesterday to take part in the 1st FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Championship, which will be held in Doha Qatar from May 15 to 17.

Sixteen teams will take to court in the first FIBA Asia 3x3 Championship for men with four each going into four groups for the Prelim Round.

The top two teams from each group will then go on to play the quarter-final play-offs.

The fray in the first FIBA Asia 3x3 Championship for women will witness 14 teams taking part with the fray being divided into three groups for the Prelim Round.

The top two teams from each group will then be divided into two groups of three teams each for the Second Round, from where the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-final play-offs.

National men’s team will compete against equally strong teams from Philippines, Mongolia and Qatar while National women’s team will compete with India, Indonesia, Philippines and Qatar in the preliminary rounds.

The Sri Lanka men’s team comprises promising youngsters from the basketball arena. The team consists of Praneeth Udumalagala (captain), Tharindu Sankalpa (vice captain), Yohan Keyser and Clinton Stallone.

The women’s team comprises of Premila Fernando (captain), Kumarine Silva (Vice Captain), Benika Thalagala and Anjalee Ekanayake.

This is the first overseas tour after the new committee took office in the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation (SLBF).T. M Amath is the head coach of the team. Christoper Karunasinghe has been appointed as the official referee while Yaswanth Muttettuwegama, one of the Vice Presidents of the SLBF is the team manager for the tour.