Defending Champions Sri Lanka will kick off the defence of their title when they challenge Philippines in the curtain-raiser match of the 13th Senior Asian Netball Championships in Bengaluru, India, today.
The 14-nation tournament is set to be played at the courts of the Koramangala Indoor Stadium from 18-27 October.
The Lankan girls, who are six-times winners of the tournament, bidding to retain the crown for a record third consecutive edition, are slotted in Group A alongside Malaysia, Philippines, Maldives, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and hosts India.
Group B will feature 2022 runners-up Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, and Iraq.
According to the tournament format, following a single round-robin phase, the top two teams from each group are set to advance to the semi-finals, while the rest are to compete in final ranking matches to regulate placements from fifth to fourteenth.
The semis and the initial placement games are planned for 26 October, followed by the gold and bronze medal matches, along with final classification contests on 27 October.
The left over games for Sri Lanka will be against Saudi Arabia on Saturday (19), against India on Sunday (20), against Japan on Tuesday (22), against Malaysia on Wednesday (23), and against Maldives on Friday (25) respectively.
The reigning Asian Champions are led by experienced netballer Dulangi Wannithilake, and among players to watch out will be Gayanjali Amarawansa, Gayani Dissanayake, and Thisala Algama, with P.D.N. Prasadi functioning as Head Coach.
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