Sri Lanka Ready for Singapore Rematch in Asian Netball Championship Semi-Final
· Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka will face Singapore in a highly anticipated semi-final of the Asian Netball Championships today (14) at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, with the national team entering the crucial encounter full of confidence.
National coach Somitha de Alwis said the players are in a positive frame of mind and determined to correct the mistakes that led to their defeat against Singapore in the group stage.
Sri Lanka lost 51-62 to Singapore in their earlier meeting, but de Alwis believes the result will not affect the team’s approach to the semi-final.
“Our players made a few mistakes in the group match against Singapore, and that was the main reason for the defeat. They realised those mistakes and are determined to rectify them and come back strongly in the semi-final,” de Alwis said.
The team also reviewed video footage of the previous encounter to identify Singapore’s strengths and weaknesses.
“We had a good training session yesterday and also reviewed the video of our match against Singapore to understand their strengths and weaknesses,” she added.
Sri Lanka started their campaign with a 57-57 draw against hosts Hong Kong before going down to Singapore. They then bounced back strongly, defeating Malaysia 66-52, India 100-34 and Maldives 78-33.
The emphatic victory over India was particularly impressive, as Sri Lanka became the only team in the tournament to reach the 100-goal mark in a match.
De Alwis said the team’s performances in the latter stages of the group phase have provided the players with valuable confidence ahead of the semi-final.
“Our girls are keen to win this semi-final and reach the final. They know the importance of this game, but we will never underestimate our opponents,” she said.
“The way our girls have reached the semi-final has been very good. They have shown their skills by winning three matches in a row, which has given them confidence.”
Captain and goal shooter Thishala Algama has also emerged as one of Sri Lanka’s biggest strengths. De Alwis praised her outstanding performances, noting that she has been the tournament’s most successful goal shooter so far.
“I am really impressed with our skipper and goal shooter Thishala Algama. She has been the most successful goal shooter in the tournament so far, which has given the team a big advantage,” she said.
Against Singapore in the group stage, Algama scored 43 goals from 46 attempts, achieving an impressive 93 per cent accuracy. Rashmi Perera contributed eight goals from 10 attempts at an 80 per cent success rate.
Sri Lanka have also used the group matches against India and Maldives to give their younger players valuable court time.
“Our young players have learned a lot during these matches. It was good for them to play alongside the more experienced players against India and Maldives, which is why we gave them opportunities in those games,” de Alwis said.
Although Singapore hold the psychological advantage after winning the earlier meeting, Sri Lanka have now played five matches and have adapted well to the tournament conditions.
Sri Lanka scored a total of 352 goals during the group stage, compared with Singapore’s 329. Their 100-34 win over India was also the tournament’s biggest winning margin.
None of the four semi-finalists completed the group stage unbeaten. Malaysia lost to Sri Lanka, Singapore were beaten by Malaysia, while hosts Hong Kong lost to both Singapore and Malaysia and drew with Sri Lanka.
The other semi-final will see Malaysia take on Hong Kong, with both matches expected to produce closely fought contests.
The winners of today’s semi-finals will meet in tomorrow’s final at the Kai Tak Arena.
Sri Lanka’s Road to the Semi-Final
Sri Lanka 57-57 Hong Kong
Sri Lanka 51-62 Singapore
Sri Lanka 66-52 Malaysia
Sri Lanka 100-34 India
Sri Lanka 78-33 Maldives
Singapore’s Road to the Semi-Final
Singapore 81-19 Maldives
Singapore 62-51 Sri Lanka
Singapore 53-40 Hong Kong
Singapore 46-52 Malaysia
Singapore 87-31 India