The Netball Federation of Sri Lanka (NFSL) will appoint a new head coach for the National team to focus on the World Cup and they are also looking to appoint a new Selection Committee for next year before forming the new Junior and Senior National pools.
According to the Sports Director General Amal Edirisooriya, NFSL has to appoint a National senior head coach and they have already submitted the names of the selection committee members through the National selection committee headed by General Shavendra Silva.
Daily news learns that three names have already been submitted for the National Senior head coach post. All three are former National players who have earlier served as National Coaches. Thilika Jinadasa the former Olympian hurdler who is a qualified Netball coach gave her services to the Sri Lanka National team and Brunei teams has once again applied for the same post while Hyacinth Wijesinghe the 2022 Asia Cup winning team head coach and former National coach and National player Somitha de Alwis are the three applicants for the senior head coach post.
Meanwhile the former head coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe has to face an inquiry after the Asia Cup and awaiting the inquiry result the interview of the National Head coach has been delayed by the NFSL. The inquiry is over now and waiting for the final decision said a senior official of the NFSL.
Due to the delay of the selection committee appointment, the formation of the National junior and senior pools also got delayed and it has a direct effect on the National senior and junior teams. The senior Netball World Cup is scheduled to be held From July 28 to August 6 in Cape Town, South Africa and International Netball Federation already announced the groupings of the teams for this big event. Sri Lanka , South Africa, Wales and Jamaica are in the same group for the world cup.
The Asian Junior Netball championship will be held in South Korea next June followed by the World Junior Netball Championship in New Zealand.
The experienced school netball coach from Holy Family Convent Kurunegala Amalka Gunatilleke was appointed head coach of the National Junior Netball team recently and their main focus will be on the upcoming Asian Junior Netball championship.