Netball World Cup 2019 unfolds tomorrow: Can Sri Lanka bring back 1963 glory?

Team Sri Lanka

Action from Sri Lanka vs Michenden Netball Cup in a warm up game          

By Hishan Welmilla

Liverpool: As the Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 draws ever closer, and start off from 12 July in Liverpool, England, all eyes of the netball fraternity in Sri Lanka have been focused on the Sri Lankan team.

The much-awaited event will get underway from tomorrow (12) as 16 teams representing Europe, Oceania, Africa, Americas and Asia vie for the honour to be crowned as the ‘Netball Queens of the World’. 

Sri Lanka being the major netball playing country in the Asian region who is currently ranked number 19 will be a great outfit to make an impact in this 15th edition of the Netball World Cup.

After winning the 2018 Asian Championships, Sri Lanka will come into the World Cup with confidence but will need to show a great deal of resilience to pick themselves up after the pool stages and the impact of coming up against the world No. 1 in Australia.

According to the expectations of the Sri Lankan Coach Thilaka Jinadasa who is a double international representing Sri Lanka as a sprint hurdler at the 1988 Olympics Games and also the Vice-Captain of the Sri Lanka Netball Team, Sri Lankan lasses will make every effort to finish number 10 in world ranking. 

When we go back to the history of the Netball World Cup, Sri Lanka’s best performance was recorded in 56 years ago in 1963 when they finished at number 9 in the rankings during their 10-time appearance in the Netball World Cup.

Netball experts believe that Sri Lanka could end the Netball World Cup finishing at No. 15 ranking. But the unexpected can be expected in any game where some teams have performed as “giant killers”.

Sri Lanka played five warm up games as a part of preparation before the World Cup against Cumberland Netball Club, Michenden Netball Club, Surry Strom Netball Club, Academy Netball Club, and Actonains Netball Club.

The centre part of the Sri Lankan team will be a combination of Gayanjali Amarawansa, Thilini Wattegedara and Nauchali Rajapaksa. The squad of Sri Lankan shooters consists of Hasitha Mendis, Dulange Dhananji and Eilentini Sethukavaller, including Tharjini Shivalingam, who was named the Best Shooter at the 2011 World Championships. 

Team captain Chathurangi Jayasuriya and Upanayaka Gayani Dissanayake (who came in the top 10 runners-up at the 2015 World Championships) will help the Sri Lankan team. In addition, Dulangi Wannithilaka will play as a midfield player and shooter, Darsika Abeywickrema as a shooter and Deepika Abeykoon as a defender and midfield player. 

Sri Lanka now compete as part of Group A alongside Zimbabwe (12 July) Northern Ireland (13 July) and reigning World Champions Australia (14 July).

Sri Lanka Squad: Deepika Abeykoon, Dharshika Abeywickrema, Gayanjali Amarawansa, Dulanga Ambeygoda, Gayani Dissanayake, Chathurangi Jayasooriya (c), Hasitha Mendis, Nauchalie Rajapakse, Elilenthinie Sethukavalar, Tharjini Sivalingam, Dulangi Wannithileka, Thilini Waththegedera. Coach: Thilaka Jinadasa.