The Sri Lanka netball team, led by Gayanjali Amarawansa, faced disappointment at the World Cup as they suffered a 46-49 loss to Singapore in their last tournament game in Cape Town, South Africa.
Sri Lanka lasses encountered their second defeat against Singapore in four days, with Singapore, the defending runners-up of the Asia Cup, showing impressive form. During the league stage, Sri Lanka lost to Singapore 52-55.
Despite being the Asian champions, Sri Lanka made changes to their coaching staff, with Thilaka Jinadasa replacing head coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe. Singapore, on the other hand, introduced young players, including a goal shooter, to strengthen their squad.
Singapore’s fast passing tactics proved challenging for Sri Lanka, leading to the team’s consecutive losses against them at the World Cup. As a result of the unexpected defeat, Sri Lanka finished in 16th place, while Singapore secured the 15th position.
In the game, Sri Lanka initially took a lead of 15-8 in the first quarter but struggled to maintain momentum, allowing Singapore to lead 12-11 in the second quarter. Singapore dominated the third and final sets, leading 16-10, and clinched the final quarter 13-10, ultimately winning the game 49-46 with a three-point margin.
Sri Lanka’s Thisala Algama was featured ahead of the tallest goal shooter, Tharjini Shivalingam. Algama displayed an impressive performance, netting 43 out of 46 shots with a 93% success rate. On the other hand, Singapore’s shooter Amandeep Chahal had an 88% success rate, scoring 38 out of 43 shots. However, Sri Lankan Goal Attack (GA) Rashmi Perera faced challenges, while Singapore’s GA, Kai Wei Toh, achieved a 79% success rate.
Earlier in the tournament, Sri Lanka secured their only win by defeating Barbados 60-56, with Dulangi Wannitilleka earning the player of the match award. However, they suffered a significant loss against Zimbabwe, ending their overall performance at the World Cup below expectations.
