Sri Lanka to scout for new netballers ahead of World Cup

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka will be preparing for the upcoming 14th Asian Senior Netball Championship in Hong Kong by forming a preliminary squad comprising 40 or more players.

The players will be identified through a talent search scheduled for February 21 at the Ministry of Sports indoor arena in Colombo aimed at scouting the country’s top netball hopefuls and the number selected could be more than 40 according to a member of the selection committee depending on the discoveries.

The Asian championship, to be held from August 7–16, 2026, will also serve as the Asian qualification for the 2027 Sydney Netball World Cup in July-August with the top two teams securing a spot at the global event. 

The national selection committee, reconstituted under the National Sports Council will oversee the selection process.

The five-member selection committee is chaired by Padma Beddewela with the members being former national captain Jayanthi Somasekeran, ex-player Lalani Priyangika, retired physical education teacher Sakunthala Wijetunga and retired netball project officer Seetha Ramani. 

The committee confirmed that at least four selection trials will be conducted before the final squad is announced in the first week of July.

Sri Lanka aims to field a competitive team that can excel in Hong Kong and potentially secure qualification for the Sydney World Cup, strengthening the country’s presence in Asian netball.