Commonwealth Games 2022

Sri Lanka to commence beach volleyball campaign against tough opponents

Sri Lanka is set to commence the beach volleyball campaign in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games when the men’s and women’s teams meet Canada and Australia respectively at the Smith Field on July 31.

In their first encounter, Malintha Yapa and Ashen Rashmika will encounter Canada. The women’s team of Deepika Bandara and Chathurika Madhushani will meet Australia. Sri Lanka’s opponents are the silver medallists from the last edition.

Of the 54 Commonwealth nations, 24 teams (12 women’s and 12 men’s) have qualified for this year’s edition. According to Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, Sri Lanka is the only country in Asia to have qualified for both men’s and women’s competitions.

While the Games will commence on July 28, the Beach Volleyball competition will start on July 30.

Sri Lanka will encounter a tough challenge in their first outing as both Canada and Australia are among the top contenders on the world stage. According to FIBA world rankings, Sri Lanka are ranked 272nd in the world while their opponents Canada are 41st in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Australia are ranked fourth in the world, while Sri Lanka are in the 265th position.