Countdown to the Netball World Cup 2019
With less than a month before the Netball World Cup – the biggest event in the netball world’s calendar – and an event that only happens every four years, we take a moment to check-in with the Sri Lankan Netball Team – to see how they have been preparing, and what the final preparations over the coming month will hold.
Since winning the Asian Netball Championship in September 2018, the team and coach have been focused on preparations for the World Cup, to be held from July 12 -21 in Liverpool, England.
During the past eight months the team has improved their fitness, strength and conditioning, and mental toughness. As players at the national level, their court-work and ball skills are already highly developed, however, the opportunity to train intensively with each other has helped enhance their sense of anticipation, understanding, and trust between teammates. The players have benefitted from two international exposure series, and are anticipating taking part in a selection of first class club matches in England in the final lead up to the event.
The first exposure series, held in early April and organised by the Sri Lankan Netball Federation, brought the national teams of Malaysia and Kenya to the Sugathadasa Stadium for several closely fought encounters, with the Sri Lankan team benefitting from the opportunity to test out different player combinations, to move players around, and to simulate having to respond to any unexpected eventuality that may occur in the World Cup – for example from injury. All players in the squad had their share of court-time, which is important to acknowledge as this goes towards building both confidence and trust across the entire team:
Anyone can play the role the coach asks of them on the day. Coach Thilaka Jinadasa said, “this series was a good lesson for the players in preparedness and was a key milestone in our preparations.”
The Malaysian and Kenyan teams also play widely different styles of netball – meaning the Sri Lankans had their work cut out for them in focusing on their own game whilst experiencing the differences of worldwide netball. This exposure series also provided a valuable lesson in match preparation, and focused positive mindsets.
The team benefitted hugely from this experience, with the Captain, Chathurangani Jayasooriya, commenting that, “these matches provided a good opportunity for the team
to put months of practice into match time, to work on our teamwork under pressure, and to try different combinations. They were hugely beneficial in our World Cup preparation.”
Following this series, the team trained further and more intensively to capitalise on the lessons learnt. This proved to be vital in their next and final exposure series, which was concluded in early June against the Botswana National Team. Again, this exposure series organised by the SLNF tested the players under a range of different conditions, to ensure they are ready to respond to anything required from them during the World Cup.
Some of the key differences were: playing outdoors, under floodlights, and in very cool conditions that are experienced during the evening in Botswana. Wind and thunder also added elements. The team is used to training indoors on wooden floorboard surfaces so these differences were useful in providing a totally different environment where the team still had to perform at their best. As with the previous series, providing court time for all 12 players, and ensuring all combinations are seamless, was a key outcome. Thilaka comments, that “it has been a long road [since the Asian Championship], the players have faced difficult conditions, injuries and niggles that are common to elite sportspeople, but we are the World Cup team and these experiences have brought out both the physical and mental strengths of our players.”
Gayani Dissanayake, the team’s vice-captain, agrees adding, “We have become stronger as individuals and as a team from the Botswana tour.” At the end of June, the team will depart for England. Here they will play a series of matches against first class English club sides as final preparation. Currently, the squad are living, training, and playing together. Thilaka has instructed each player that their focus is, “100% netball until the 21st of July”. Each player has fully agreed! For the World Cup competition, the team is in a pool with Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Australia.
The team goal is to break into the top ten in the Netball rankings. Should they progress from the pool stage, they will achieve this goal, making them the first team since the 1963 Sri Lankan National Netball team to achieve this feat.
Gayanjali Amarawansa, the team’s centrecourt player, says, “our goal is to place among the top 10 teams in the world. We are committed and have sacrificed a lot. Our physical training and mental preparation are at a very good level. We will give our best.”