COLOMBO, June 16 (ePRESS) – A storm is brewing in Sri Lanka netball ahead of the 14th Asian Netball Championship, which will be held in Hong Kong from August 7 to August 16, 2026, at the newly developed Kai Tak Sports Park, after a sharp disagreement between national coach Somitha de Alwis and selection committee chairperson Padma Beddawela over the inclusion of teenage star Thumalka Ekanayake in the national squad. Despite strong objections from the coach, selectors stood their ground and unanimously picked the 18-year-old schoolgirl, refusing to drop what they described as one of the country’s brightest talents.
The dispute centred on Thumalka, a 6-foot-2 player from Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya, Kurunegala, who is currently the second-tallest player in the national pool. While coach De Alwis reportedly wanted a midfield player instead, selectors insisted that Thumalka’s height, skill and future potential made her impossible to ignore.
The issue became a major talking point during the selection process, with tensions simmering behind the scenes. In the end, the selection committee backed Thumalka and included her in the final 12-member squad.
Beddawela said the national coach had opposed the inclusion of both Thumalka Ekanayake and Themi Wasanthapriya from the first trial onwards.
“Thumalka is a player who must be in the Sri Lanka team. She is a young talent and one of the tallest players available after Thisala Algama. We cannot cut down a player with such ability. We have informed the Netball Federation executive committee about the matter,” Beddawela said.
She added that Thumalka is the only school player selected to the national squad and possesses the technical skills and physical qualities needed for the future of Sri Lankan netball.
“She is a complete player. We selected her with the future in mind, and we believe it was the correct decision,” Beddawela said.
Thumalka has already built an impressive reputation despite her young age. She guided Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya to the 2024 Milo Netball Championship title and was named the tournament’s Best Player. She also won the Best Under-19 Player award at the Eva Trophy tournament last year and was a regular member of Sri Lanka’s squad at the 2024 Asian Youth Netball Championship.
Apart from netball, Thumalka has excelled in badminton, long jump, the 100 metres and 100m hurdles, making her one of the most athletic players in the national setup.
Responding to the controversy, coach De Alwis said her only concern was building a winning team for Sri Lanka.
“The squad has now been selected and my responsibility is to prepare it for success. It is true that I requested another player instead of Thumalka because I felt we needed a midfield player. Thumalka is a talented player and I have no personal issues with anyone. My duty is to help Sri Lanka win,” De Alwis said.
With the selectors and coach finally reaching common ground on the final squad, Sri Lanka will now hope the off-court dispute does not become a distraction as they prepare for the Asian Championship challenge in Hong Kong.
