Dialog Netball Rising Stars 2021

 From left: Department of Sports Development Director Admin Padma Siriwardana, Department of Sports Development Director General Amal Edirisooriya, Ministry of Youth and Sports Secretary Anuradha Wijekoon, Dialog Axiata Head of Marketing – Brand Management Ashani Senaratne, Netball Federation of Sri Lanka President Victoria Lakshmi

• Empowering women today to win the world tomorrow

Celebrating International Women’s Day, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata PLC in partnership with the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka (NFSL) are conducting a provincial netball tourney organised by the Department of Sports Development, to identify and develop new talent to be champions of tomorrow on international court, which will take place from 7 to 8 March with the grand finale to be played on 8 March at the Torrington Grounds, Colombo from 3:30 p.m. onwards live on ThePapare.com.

Over nine teams and 150 players from the nine provinces are expected to compete for supremacy at the Dialog Netball Rising Stars 2021 tourney. The preliminary round of the tourney will be played in a league structure, quarter finals onwards the tourney will be played on knockout basis. Third place matches and the finals will be played with 40 minutes per game split into four segments.

The National Netball Team has been making steady progress during the last few years and has steadily come up in the International and Asian ranking at 18th and 1st respectively. 

“Sri Lanka has the potential to perform extremely well beyond the Asian circuit with new talent pool we have been developing over the past few years and this tourney is an extent to that progression,” Netball Federation of Sri Lanka President Victoria Lakshmi said. “I would like to thank our partner Dialog Axiata for always supporting NFSL, especially to develop the sport and find talent from the peripheries,” Lakshmi further said.

“In spite of obstacles faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to thank NFSL for partnering with us and Dialog Axiata PLC, for powering a tourney of this magnitude to celebrate International Women’s Day,” Ministry of Youth and Sports Department of Sports Development Director General Amal Edirisooriya said. “After nearly a year of hibernation due to the pandemic, tournaments such as this are very important to find new talent and provide the national pool with much-needed match practice. I wish the NFSL the very best for a successful tourney,” Amal further said.  

“Dialog Axiata is proud to have partnered with NFSL to develop the talent pool from all nine provinces of Sri Lanka and bring glory to our motherland. The national team has been making steady progress in the past few years especially with the new talent coming in and we are excited to see the best our finest young women will achieve in the international arena,” Dialog Axiata PLC Head of Marketing Ashani Senaratne said. “We are proud to launch this nation-wide tourney on International Women’s Day in celebration of our talented players to unlock their full potential and empower them to reach greater heights in becoming the champions of tomorrow. I wish all the players the very best,” Senaratne further added.   

Dialog Axiata is proud to sponsor Sri Lanka National Cricket, Rugby, Volleyball and Netball teams. The Company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Club Rugby, Schools Rugby, Premier Football, Schools’ Cricket, Junior Volleyball and Paralympic sports – whilst also powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lankan contingent to the Olympic and World Paralympic Games.