Sri Lanka Netball outfit secures bronze after a tournament to forget

After a disappointing performance at the Semi Finals, and even during the initial three-quarters of the bronze Final, Sri Lankan lasses bounced back in the final quarter to secure the bronze medal with a tense victory (65 – 60) against Malaysia at the 14th Asian Netball Championship. The tournament concluded last Saturday (15th August) at the Sports Hall, Kai Tak Arena, in Hong Kong. Singapore retained the championship with a statement victory (57 – 33) over the hosts Hong Kong, while both sides secured their berth for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.

The bronze medal victory was something far beyond even consolation as the previous performance of the Sri Lankan outfit was concerned. The six-time Asian Champions (1989, 1997, 2001, 2009, 2018 and  2022) had a shocking start when they had a tied game (57 all) against a spirited home side (Hong-Kong). Sri Lanka’s hopes of making it to the second round hung by a string when they were defeated by the defending champions Singapore (62 – 51) in their second preliminary round outing. However, they displayed some courage in the middle and posted three consecutive victories against Malaysia (66 – 52), India (100 – 34) and the Maldives (78 – 33).

The hat-trick of victories during the latter part of the preliminary rounds sealed Sri Lanka a spot in the Semi Finals, making the second meeting with the defending champions. Singapore, who suffered from a shocking defeat against Malaysia (52 – 46), displayed that they had learned their lessons well since the initial minute of the game. Singapore got off to a superb start at the end of the 1st quarter with a commanding 20 – 11 lead after dictating the possession. The lasses in Red continued their attacking in the second quarter to score 19 points against 14 and post a 39 – 25 lead at Half Time. Singapore almost secured their grand final berth by scoring 24 goals, while Sri Lanka managed only 15, creating a 23-goal advantage at 63 – 40 points. The Ladies in Red never allowed the Lankan lasses to breathe easier even during the final quarter (19 – 14 points), and posted a mammoth 82 – 54 points victory by handsomely marching into the Finals.

During the 1st quarter of the bronze Final, Malaysia got nose ahead of Sri Lanka with a 13 – 12 lead. During the 2nd quarter, Sri Lankan lasses settled and displayed improved performance (19 – 17 points) to earn a slight lead (31 – 30) at Half Time. During the 3rd quarter, Malaysia bounced back and scored 17 points against 15 points by re-establishing their one-point lead. The 4th and final quarter belonged to Lankan lasses who played like an electrified unit, controlling the possession by scoring 19 points against 13 with posting a hard-fought 65 – 60 victory by securing a podium finish.

Despite the victory, Sri Lanka’s third-place finish marked a severe setback for the country’s leading women’s sport, as they failed to qualify for the Netball World Cup for the first time in 21 years. Following the tournament, internal rifts emerged publicly as Sri Lanka Netball Federation Secretary Damayanthi Jayatilaka accused the coaching staff and senior players of poor discipline, verbal abuse, and creating deep squad divisions that ultimately cost them on the court by tarnishing the reputation of the country.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka head coach Somitha de Alwis stated to the media that she will take the sole responsibility of the downfall during the tournament without passing it to the players. According to herself, the Sri Lankan team had displayed an improvement within her four-month tenure, but that wasn’t enough to compete against the other title contenders like Singapore, who are continuing their two years’ national training session, which begins just after an Asian Championship.

The highly technical and tactical play helped Singapore to defend the Asian title after defeating host nation Hong Kong 57 – 33 in the Final. This marked Singapore’s fifth Asian Championship title, placing them as the most consistent side in recent history. After clinching the maiden title in 1993, Hong Kong failed to qualify for a Final until this year’s edition and also failed to secure a podium finish. With the home advantage, Hong Kong produced an incredible performance, which wasn’t an upset, but a result of proper planning and execution. With this significant success, the lasses in Red secured qualification for the Netball World Cup 2027 for the first time as first Runners-Up, alongside champions Singapore.

Alongside this, the Plate Championship was clinched by Pakistan after defeating Thailand at the Final of the Plate Segment.

Sri Lanka’s match results

Preliminary Round

Sri Lanka 57 – 57 Hong-Kong Tied

Sri Lanka 51 – 62 Singapore Lost

Sri Lanka 66 – 52 Malaysia Won

Sri Lanka 100 – 34 India Won

Sri Lanka 78 – 33 Maldives Won

Semi Final

Sri Lanka 51 – 62 Singapore Lost

Bronze Final

Sri Lanka 65 – 60 Malaysia Won

The Victorious Singapore National Netball Team is receiving the trophy from the President of the Asian Netball Federation and ex-president of Sri Lanka Netball, Victoria Lakshmi.

Final Standings:

1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. Sri Lanka
4. Malaysia
5. Maldives
6. India
7. Pakistan
8. Thailand
9. Chinese Taipei
10. Japan
11. South Korea