Sri Lanka’s basketball team should be the favourites to bring back the SABA Challenge Trophy when they take part in the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) championship that will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh starting on November 15.
The team left yesterday (13) morning and will return on November 21 after competing. With India not listed to participate the chances of Sri Lanka emerging champions once again is very high. India has won the title five times since the tournament was introduced in 2002.
Sri Lanka are the defending champions after finishing unbeaten in the last tournament also held in Dhaka in 2018. They are hoping to repeat that performance of defeating their opponents by big margins which they did the last time. The team also retains several players in the current squad who took part in that tournament.
The teams that will take part this year are Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This tournament will also serve as a qualification for the FIBA championship. The Sri Lanka team is led by Clinton Stallone of the Navy and will consist of a mixture of youth and experience. Two schoolboys Yogananthan Simron and Shehan Fernando are among the reserves. The squad of 15 players were selected out of 120 entries that the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation received. This squad was under intense training for the past one month in a bio-secure bubble closely monitored by coaches Susil Udukumburage (head coach) and Ranura Nanayakkara. They have also reached the standard as expected and the team is jointly sponsored by Velona garments and Vaaj Fitness center while MAS are the clothing sponsor.
The squad:
Clinton Stallone (Captain), Rukshan Atapattu (V-Captain), Gayan de Croos, Thimothi Nithushan, Praneeth Udugalagala, Chanuka Fernando, Arnold Thevakumar, Udayanga Perera, Dasun Mendis, Pawan Gamage, Nimesh Fernando and Asanka Rajakaruna. Standbys: Sasindu Gajanayake, Yogananthan Simron and Shehan Fernando.
Officials: Aelian Gunawardena (Chef-de-Mission), Susil Udukumburage, (head coach), Ranura Nanayakkara (coach), Duminda de Silva (trainer), Manoj Dharshana (masseur) and Gayan Kahingala (FIBA referee).