14th Senior Asian Netball C’ship: Jamaican consultant coach becomes unavailable?

• Netball Federation in search of new recruit 

Sri Lanka Netball Federation’s (SLNF) attempt to secure the services of former Jamaican netball coach Connie Francis for the post of consultant coach for the national team has been unsuccessful, due to her being unavailable, informed sources told The Daily Morning Sports.

The Federation had earmarked a foreign consultant coach to streamline the national team’s preparations ahead of the 14th Senior Asian Netball Championship in Hong Kong China this August, which also serves as the Asian Qualifying round for the Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia next year.

According to these sources the SLNF and the Ministry of Sports had initially lined up the former Jamaican netball champion to be considered alongside three other CVs for the said post, when Francis had come across local press reports to the effect that she has been confirmed the same.

However, around the same time Francis had received an offer from elsewhere, which had prompted her to move away from the Sri Lankan assignment, leaving the Netball Federation to scout for another recruit.

It is learnt that though the SLNF had been unsuccessful in seeking the services of Connie Francis this time around, they are yet optimistic that they will be able to secure her input for the nation’s junior netball teams in time to come.

Meanwhile, the game’s domestic controlling body is set to expedite its search for a consultant coach from abroad in conjunction with the Ministry of Sports, after failing in its bid to sign up with Francis for the said post. 

Francis is regarded as the most successful coach of the Jamaican senior netball team having played for her country in five World Netball Championships between 1986 and 2003, while helping to lift the Caribbean nation’s world ranking from fifth to third.

As a coach, she had also steered Jamaica to bronze medals at the 2007 and 2003 World Netball Championships and a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, respectively.

The upcoming competition in Hong Kong China – which event Sri Lanka has been dominant in the past with no fewer than six titles to their credit, will be critical for their chances of advancing to the game’s marquee tournament in 2027, with only its winner and runner-up being guaranteed of that pathway.

The SLNF had sought to hire a consultant coach for the senior team following the majority of players being rather hesitant to compete in overseas tournaments sans the expert knowledge of an overseas consultant, as opposed to the local coaching techniques, it is reliably understood.

The Federation has also appointed former star Somitha de Alwis to be the national team’s head coach for the forthcoming do-or-die tournament in HK China, with an assistant coach yet to be named to date.

The final 12-member Sri Lanka squad for the aforesaid tournament is expected to be chosen before the end of next month following a few domestic trials, according to Federation sources. 

The Netball Federation had its first duly-elected body in over 19 months early this year, with the ascension to the presidency of former netball star Vajira Netticumara at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Sports Ministry premises.

source - The Morning