By Hishan Welmilla
Liverpool: Asian netball queens Sri Lanka will meet the debutants Zimbabwe at their first match in the preliminary round of the Netball World Cup which unfolds today at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool England.
Sri Lanka had a small stint in Botswana as the preparation for the World Cup and played with some African teams. This may have given an opportunity to understand the playing skills and the approaches of the African players and will definitely be useful when they confront Zimbabwe.
Sri Lankan captain Chathurangi Jayasooriya, a Flight Lieutenant in the Sri Lankan Air Force, said that her team was very much in a positive mood and hoped that the young guns and the experienced players would do their best to counter the strong Zimbabwe resistance.
“We are not under pressure, we are very confident and we believe we can make an impact in our first outing,” said Chathurangi
The match will be the third in the line-up of the opening day which starts at 11:25 a.m. local time (Sri Lanka time 4:35 p.m).
It hasn’t been the smoothest start for the African nation who named their final 12 on 3 July – only nine days before the start of the tournament. Competing in their first World Cup, they are something of an unknown quantity and will look to capitalise on that against higher ranked teams.
Adelaide Muskwe brings some much-needed experience to this team – a speedy defender who plays for Severn Stars in the UK’s Superleague will be the key player for the African Nation.
The national netball side, which is affectionately known as the Gems team, qualified for the tournament for the first time during the qualifiers staged in Zambia.
Traditional Candle Lighting Ceremony
Captains of the 2019 Vitality World Cup met for the Traditional Candle Lighting Ceremony on the night of 10 July at Liverpool’s iconic St. George’s Hall.
In a tradition that dates back to the first World Cup in 1963, the candle lighting ceremony is a poignant moment of reflection before the battle on the court begins. The ceremony was the first time players of the 1963 World Cup had stood in front of their international peers. The candles were lit whilst players pledged to play in the spirit of fair play.
Captains from every competing nation are invited to light a candle in recognition of friendship, goodwill and a commitment to honour the spirit of netball. As time has gone on, the candle-lighting ceremony has become a symbol for international netball to celebrate the worldwide impact of the sport. It has become a light that represents the history and the camaraderie of netball in the midst of fierce competition.
The first match
New Zealand will meet Malawi as the first match of the 15th Edition of the Netball World Cup which start at 9 a.m.
The INF Netball World Cup is a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Netball Federation (INF), inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australian national netball team (the Diamonds) and the New Zealand national netball team (the Silver Ferns) Trinidad and Tobago is the only other team to have won a title. The most recent tournament was the 2015 Netball World Cup in Sydney Australia, which was won by Australia.
Sri Lanka matches
12 July – vs. Zimbabwe – 11:25 a.m. local time (Sri Lanka time 3:35 p.m).
13 July – vs. Northern Island – 9:25 a.m. local time (Sri Lanka time 1:45 p.m.)
14 July – vs. Australia – 3 p.m. local time (Sri Lanka time 7:20 p.m.)
Sri Lanka Squad: Chathurangi Jayasooriya (C) (Air Force SC), Darshika Abeywickrama (HNB), Gayani Dissanayake (HNB), Tharjini Sivalingam (Seylan Bank), Thilini Waththegedara (Air Force SC), Gayanjali Amarawansa (HNB), Hasitha Mendis (Navy SC), Deepika Darshani (Navy SC), Dulangi Wannithilake (Navy SC), Dulanga Dhananji (Navy SC), Elilenthini Sethukavalar (CDB), Nauchalee Rajapakse. Coach: Thilaka Jinadasa
Zimbabwe Squad: Sharon T. Bwanali, Pauline Jani, Rudo Karume, Felisitus Kwangwa, Claris Kwaramba, Ndaizivei Madzikangava, Sharleen Makusha, Patricia Mauladi, Adelaide Muskwe, Ursula Ndlovu, Perpetua Y Siyachitema (C), Joice Takaidza. Coach: Lloyd Makunde.
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