Can high-riding Sri Lankans defend their title?
Hong Kong’s bid to avenge their group stage loss to Sri Lanka only proved futile when they were comfortably downed by Sri Lanka 43-67 to qualify for today’s final against host Singapore. This will be the defending champion’s ninth straight entry into the regional final.
The Asian Netball Championships finals will be played today at 1.30pm Sri Lankan time, in Singapore. The semi-final victory also secured Sri Lanka a spot at the 2023 Netball World Cup.
Playing before a Sri Lankan support, having come for the match in their numbers, the five-time champions as anticipated, led the opening quarter leading 17-7. They only continued to consolidate in their charge finishing the second quarter 32-16.
The penultimate quarter saw them adding another 15 shots and ending with 47-25. Led by Gayanjali Abeywansha, her team effortlessly sealed the deal and now are a match away from retaining the title, when they meet hosts Singapore, in another rematch.
“We played in today’s match by keeping a good observation on them in the second round match against Hong Kong,” Abeywansha told the Sunday Times immediately after the match.
Their coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe also said, “No one can prevent
Sri Lanka from winning the trophy”.
Today also marks a height of coincidental and a consequential day for both cricket and netball. Sri Lanka will also be taking on Pakistan in the Asia Cup cricket final in Dubai this evening. The women-only game’s final will set the tone for a super Sunday.
When the tournament got underway last Saturday (3), the Lankan lasses’ title defence campaign was off to a cruising start decimating India 102-14. In their next match against the Philippines, they once again enjoyed a convincing win of 99-37.
Up next, taking on Singapore, they overcame the hosts 67-49. The only match Lankan lasses had a narrow win was against the Malaysians, scraping through by only two points (55-53).
Tharjini Sivalingam, their goal shooter, and country’s tallest netballer, has been their mainstay in propelling them as an unstoppable and unbeaten force en route to the finals. Teams also observed two minutes of silence in respect of the late Queen Elizabeth II.