Determined Sri Lanka aim to retain title
Nishantha Fernando
The selection committee of Sri Lanka Carrom Federation picked a squad of ten players including two reserves – five each in both Men’s and Women’s categories to represent Sri Lanka at the 8th International Carrom Federation Cup Championship to be held in Pune, Mumbai, India from December 2 to 6, 2019.
World champion Nishantha Fernando will lead the Men’s team while Joseph Roshita will captain the Women’s team. Defending World champions Sri Lanka will be represented by the four top ranked players in both categories in an international event organised jointly by World Carrom Federation and All India Carrom Federation and will be competed by more than 16 countries including Sri Lanka host India, Maldives, France, Germany, Italy, the United of America and the United Kingdom.
Sri Lanka defeated the powerhouse of world carrom, India at the last World Championship in 2018 and they are all out to retain their reputation as the world’s best in this mega event too.
Joseph Roshita
Both captains — Fernando and Roshita will have lead from the front as both players are with a load of international exposure and experience. Likewise Fernando, much will be expected from Royal College slicer Shaheed Hilmy as he won the national crown defeating Fernando at the last national finals.
In 2018, the Sri Lankan Men’s team won the Men’s championship while our Women’s team finished runner-up in the Women’s championship at the World Championship. The present team that take wing to India are rich with experience as the Men’s team consists of two players while the Women’s team has the services of three players who were members of the World Champion team.
It is expected that the Lankan slicers will fire in all cylinders to safeguard the international reputation as world champs. Lanka’s carrom team is the second to win a team event at a world championship other than cricket that won the Cricket World Cup in 1996.
The selectors, Dudley Gunawardhane (Chairman) along with Sunanda Kodagoda and Ranjith Perera followed the performances of the players from the national tournaments of the year and picked the cream of slicers. The team beaming with confidence and are in good touch, physically and mentally and are expected to add another title as winners of World Carrom Federation champions.
| The selected Men’s and Women’s Carrom teams | |
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