Gayani Dissanayake: From the village of Danthure to the world netball stage
View(s):As the national netball team prepare for the World Netball Championship to be held in the UK in July, the following is the third in a series that tells the story behind this inspiring team. This week we feature Gayani Dissanayake the team’s Goal Keeper
At only 24 years of age she is one of the most capped players in the team, having represented Sri Lanka in an outstanding 75 occasions. Against a stunning sunset backdrop, she shared stories from her equally stunning career.
Danthure is a tiny village outside of Kandy which is home to the Dissanayake family – mother, father, two brothers, and Gayani, the middle child. Growing up she was an athlete excelling at long jump, and the 100m and 200m: She is a Junior John Tarbet long jump record holder. She played netball because she was tall, but she was also very good – as a fourteen-year-old she was playing in under-19 competitions. Then, still at fourteen, she was selected to the National Netball Players pool for the Asian Championship! In 2010, she was selected for the squad for the Junior Asian Championship, and that year she moved to Colombo to pursue “netball, athletics, and schooling.”
After such an amazing start her career looked to be set, however, it hit a hurdle when in 2011 she was not selected in the National Team. One of Gayani’s remarkable characteristics is her ability to focus and deliver: She used this situation not as a negative set-back but as a chance to re-assess and improve. From now on, she decided, she was “going to be in the first 7 players” (not just the first 12). Since 2011, she has been in the National Team and has also won prizes, awards, and international recognition – all on the back of her performances as a defender, a crowning achievement. Her honour roll includes Vice-Captain for the 2013 Junior Asian Championship, Vice-Captain for the 2014 Asian Championship, Captain for the 2015 Junior Asian Championship, Vice-Captain for the 2015 World Cup, and Captain for the 2016 Asian Championship.
At the 2015 World Cup, she was ranked in the top 10 defenders for the entire competition!
She has been involved in many teams, has captained many sides, and has played under a variety of captains. She has played defence with Chathu Jayasooriya (the Goal Defence and 2018 Asia Championship Captain) since 2012 and sees the trust and teamwork they have together as a “really good combination with a very strong bond” – so strong that at times when watching old footage, she struggles to tell them apart. She views the squad today that are preparing for the World Cup as having “the right mix of youth and experience,” and the fitness they are building is phenomenal.
Always with a smile, she is able to make others feel welcome, and has been able to do this for her teammates throughout the years through her different leadership roles in the team. She is a very steadying influence, which is particularly important as the GK.
She works at a bank and appreciates the transfer of skills from netball to her work place and vice-versa: “They both require multitasking, prioritisation, and team work.” She would like to “encourage children to do both sports and studies – there must be a balance but if you work hard, and train hard nothing is impossible.” With the support of her family she has moved from outside of Colombo, made her mark with the National Netball Team, and is about to represent Sri Lanka at her second World Cup.
She is grateful to her parents and family, all of her coaches, the Netball Federation, workmates and her friends for supporting her on this journey.