Sri Lanka's cagers aim to make impact 3×3 basketball debuts

Sri Lanka’s basketball team will create history at the XXII Commonwealth Games in Birmingham when the men’s and women’s team make their debut in the 3×3 competition. The three-a-side event which is an Olympic discipline has been introduced for the first time in Birmingham 2022 where eight men and women teams qualified to participate.

Sri Lanka is the only team from Asia to qualify for this competition by virtue of the tournaments they conducted and ranking points gained, according to a veteran basketball official Ajith Kuruppu who is the manager of the team.

Although Sri Lanka will be up against European teams, they are determined to make an impact.

“They are like professional players. It will be difficult to match them. We are fielding two young teams and trying to make an impact. Qualifying in itself is an achievement. We are hoping to do well,” said Kuruppu.

The truncated version of the traditional game played over ten minutes is gaining in popularity like T20 cricket, added Kuruppu who has over 45 years experience as a basketball administrator and coach.

“You have to be very quick, have agility, speed, reflexes count a lot and shooting accuracy. The only problem was because of transport problems it was difficult to train but they did a lot of sacrifices to come for training in the 3×3 court in front of Football House in Torrington, he said..

He is also buoyed by Sri Lanka’s performance at the FIBA Asia Cup 3×3 tournament in Indonesia where the men finished 21 out of 32 beating Tonga but losing to China 21-8. “Everybody was happy about Sri Lanka’s fighting spirit. For the first time after 2013, the girls came to the quarter-finals losing to Japan.

The Sri Lanka men’s team will be led by experienced campaigner Royalist Rukshan Atapattu, Brent Arnold is from Asian International School, Janith Gamage from Royal Institute and a Jaffna boy Yogananthan Simran.

The Sri Lanka’s women’s team comprises Shalini Perera (captain), Taniya Perera and Nihari Perera, all from St Joseph’s Girls College, Nugegoda, while Lubna Morseth is a student of Lyceum International, Wattala. Nihari and Lubna also represented Sri Lanka at the FIBA Asia Cup 3×3 tournament. Sivashakthi Selvaraja is coach of the teams.

MEN

Pool A: Canada, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Scotland

Pool B: Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago, England

WOMEN

Pool A: Kenya, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Australia

Pool B: New Zealand, England, British Virgin Island, Canada