Foreign Consultant Coach may not benefit Sri Lanka Netball: Hyacinth Wijesingha

By Susil Premalal

With Sri Lanka setting its sights on the 14th Asian Senior Netball Championship 2026 in Hong Kong and qualification for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, the decision to recruit a foreign consultant coach could prove ineffective, according to veteran Sri Lankan netball coach Hyacinth Wijesingha.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Wijesingha stressed that Sri Lanka’s greatest achievements in netball have consistently come under the guidance of local coaches. Despite employing foreign consultant coaches at various stages in the past, Sri Lanka has won the Asian Senior Netball Championship six times and finished runners-up on four occasions through the strength and expertise of domestic coaching systems.
The Sri Lanka Netball Federation (SLNF) has reportedly initiated discussions to appoint a foreign consultant coach in preparation for the upcoming international tournaments. However, Wijesingha cautioned that such appointments require significant monthly financial commitments and historically have not resulted in long-term involvement or sustainable development within the country.
The 14th Asian Senior Netball Championship is scheduled to be held from August 7 to 17, while the 2027 Netball World Cup will take place in Sydney from July 28 to August 6. Only the champion and runner-up teams from the Asian Championship will qualify for the World Cup, increasing the stakes for participating nations.
Wijesingha, who has served as Sri Lanka’s national coach during several Asian title-winning campaigns and is currently working as a consultant netball coach in Bahrain, stated that she will not seek any future appointment as national coach. She explained that this decision was taken to create opportunities for emerging local coaches to step into leadership roles and gain vital international exposure.
Despite the importance of the upcoming Asian Championship, Sri Lanka has yet to appoint a national head coach or finalise a national training pool. In response, SLNF has scheduled a talent identification test on February 21–22 in Colombo, aimed at forming a national squad ahead of the tournament.
Sri Lanka last competed in the Asian Championship in 2024 in Bengaluru, where the team finished as runners-up. Historically, Sri Lanka has claimed Asian titles in 1989, 1997, 2001, 2009, 2018, and 2022, while securing runner-up finishes in 1985, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2024.