The champion Singapore outfit with the trophy

By Susil Premalal reporting from Bengaluru

Sri Lanka’s hopes of retaining the Asian Senior Netball Championship for a record third successive year were dashed when they were beaten 64-67 by Singapore in a pulsating final played at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru, India, yesterday.

The six-time champions were cruising along at one stage with a comfortable three-point advantage over their opponents midway through the fourth and final quarter.

But they threw the game away carelessly with a lethargic performance as Singapore bounced back to level the scores 52-52 after regular time, and the final went into extra time. 

The scores were level 59-59 at the end of the first quarter during extra time, but Singapore applied pressure on their opponents and built up a vital two-point lead going into the last few minutes before they sealed the match with a clinical performance.

Earlier, Sri Lanka, after trailing 12-17 after the first quarter, staged a good comeback to reduce the margin to 27-28 at half time.

The defending champions took the lead for the first time in the match midway through the fourth quarter and were heading for a convincing win at that stage with a 42-39 advantage.

But Sri Lanka’s defence cracked during the latter stages of the fourth quarter as Singapore exploited the chances and went on to avenge their last year’s defeat against the same opponents.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Coach P.D.N. Prasadi said their defenders made a few mistakes at crucial stages, and that led to their defeat in the final.