Rapid action, elegant shoots, mind boggling technique. Basketball has it all. That’s why it is regarded as one of the most popular and exciting games in the world. Basketball has hit the forefront with the NBA and WNBA being a breeding ground of talent in the US and a load of competitions under the wing of FIBA (The International Basketball Federation) spotlighting skilled players. The ladies not being overshadowed by their male counterparts, have held up their own with their massive talent and it will be quite evident at the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games. With the format changing from 5-a-side to 3-a-side, it’s first ever inclusion in the Commonwealth arena and just the 3rd inclusion of basketball, we might be fortunate to witness some breath-taking action for sure.
A question before we proceed, did you know that Sri Lanka Women’s 3-a-side Basketball is one of the best in Asia? With the current rank at 8th in Asia and getting selected as the Asian regional qualifiers (with the direct qualification of Australia), the ladies in the 3 x 3 squad are ready to bring their A game to Birmingham and perhaps bring glory and a glimpse of sunshine for an already sullen nation. A young contingent will be travelling to the games and in spite of the age, looking at the line-up we can witness a strong, prospective squad, with two of them already playing for the senior team, despite being at a young age. The men’s team is also ranked 15th in Asia currently and has a strong history of performing over the odds at global events with several members of the team being part of the one that beat Japan at the 3x3 U-18 Asia Championship back in 2017, making it all the way to the quarterfinals where they lost narrowly to China. While, similar to the women’s team the men’s team might look inexperienced on paper they have several player with experience playing for the 5-a-side team as well and are looking to go far in the competition.
The team will be led by Chalani Perera, the most experienced player in the squad and a strong player. She has represented Sri Lanka in multiple occasions and has been engaged in 3-a-side basketball since its inception in Sri Lanka. Her experience and knowledge will be invaluable to the team. Having represented Sri Lanka at the 2013 U16 Asian Championship and 2016 U18 Asian championship, her prominence as a point guard could come in handy in turning tides in the competition, having done so before.
Nihari Perera is also an experienced campaigner with international exposure. She excelled in the U18 category, representing Sri Lanka at numerous international outings including the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, which was Sri Lanka’s debut in basketball at the event, where the ladies went ahead and created a major upset by beating Egypt 17-15 at their respective Pool. She was also a member of the senior women’s team at the FIBA 3 x 3 Asia Cup in 2022 and the FIBA 3 x 3 World cup qualifiers as well. Expect some great prospects from her in the upcoming games.
A teenage basketball sensation in Sri Lanka, Rashmi Taniya Perera will also be playing for Sri Lankan at the Commonwealth games. Pointing out just how talented she is, she was previously ranked No. 01 in the World with 131, 355 points, which goes without saying a massive stride. She was the former U16 national captain and was a high flying point scorer at the under 18 Asian cup in 2017 and the Youth Olympics in 2018. She is currently the 4th best player in Sri Lanka. With her versatility on court with the ability to play any position that seems fit, Rashmi Perera would be a sight to witness in Birmingham.
Rounding up the squad, it would be Lubna Morseth, another prominent name in Sri Lankan 3 x 3 basketball. As a teenage basketball sensation herself, with experience at the international stage, she will undoubtedly be a key player at the Commonwealth games. Morseth played at the U18 FIBA Asia cup in 2016, just at the age of 14. She was the top scorer at the head turning defeat of Egypt at the 2018 Youth Olympics with 7 points just by herself. She was also major force in the silver medal winning 2019 South Asian Games team as well. With an impressive portfolio, just at the age of 20 (The youngest of the squad), count on Morseth to turn the game around for Sri Lanka.
The Men’s team will be led by Rukshan Athapaththu from the University of Moratuwa, an experienced campaigner who has represented the Sri Lanka 5-a-side team as a vice captain while also playing nationally since he was a schoolboy in Royal College. Athapaththu was part of the team that beat Japan at the U18 level. Rukshan was also part of the team that won the Red Bull Half Court Championship recently, qualifying for an international event in Egypt. He was also a member of the 5-a-side team that won silver at the SABA Basketball Championships in 2021.
Another experienced member of the squad is Arnold Brent Thevakumar, another player who was part of the team that beat Japan and has also represented the 5-a-side team many times in the past including at SABA Championships. He is also a player with past experience at major championships having been a part of the Sri Lanka 3x3 team that participated at the 2018 Asian Games where they beat Vietnam. Thevakumar has been a prominent name in basketball circles around the country for a while now due to the exploits of both Arnold and his brother Clint who is the 5-a-side Basketball Captain.
The youngest member of the Men’s team is Simron Yoganathan, but his exploits already bely his age having been a part of the silver medal winning SABA Basketball Championships team despite still being in school. This will be his first experience of performing at such a stage but hopefully his talent and skills will stand him in good stead in Birmingham
The final member of the team is Janith Milidduwa Gamage, who is currently on top of the individual rankings for 3x3 Basketball Players in Sri Lanka and even though he might be lacking experience yet at the very highest stage it will be interesting to see what this young team can achieve with a new outlook at the Commonwealth Games. Change is not necessarily a bad thing and the 3x3 Basketball Team has a chance to prove exactly that!
The team would be officiated by Ajith Kuruppu and Sivashakthi Selvaraja who have been guiding the 8 players for a long time.
The Women’s 3 x 3 team, who have already created some exhilarating stirs at the international stage will be on the lookout to improve their already impressive resumé. The ladies will face Kenya at their initial outing on 29th July, followed up by Scotland on the 30th and Australia on the 31st. while the Men’s Team will face Scotland on the 29th , Kenya on the 30th followed by Canada on the 31st. Team work is number one in basketball, so let the team spirit flourish between the squad and we as MoraSpirit wish them the best of luck to bring out their best to bring glory to Sri Lanka.
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