| Fadhil Yunus |
BRUNEI Darussalam national netball coach Thilaka Jinadasa found inspiration on the tenacity of her charges during training particularly during Ramadhan as they prepare for the competitive season.
“It’s nothing new to national players because every year we train during Ramadhan,” said Thilaka in an interview with the media.
“It’s kind of a challenge for the players to have a strong mindset. Actually I am really inspired with the national players looking at how hard they train even during Ramadhan,” added the national netball coach.
Thilaka, who has been a long-serving coach for the national side, highlighted the positives displayed by the netball players in training sessions.
“It’s always tough during first week but the gradual increase of training allows players to always adapt well and they always execute the sessions well.”
She added that the national team held friendly matches with ex-national players once a week to keep their game in rhythm.
Brunei Darussalam national netball coach Thilaka Jinadasa
The head coach shared the need to have a lot of commitment and sacrifice, both as an individual and as a team, to be successful.
As the country celebrates Hari Raya, Thilaka said, “We always have discussions before holidays to decide how many days we are going to be off from training.
“It’s the same for the past six years for me. I believe players have to come with their decision and I always listen to their feedback since the culture in Brunei is a bit different compared to where I am from,” added the Sri Lankan.
The head coach also revealed the immediate plan towards enhancing their preparations ahead of a busy season with the Sri Lanka exposure series.
“I’m planning to play five games with leading club teams which include Sri Lanka national players as well,” said Thilaka.
The Asian Netball Championship-winning coach exercised caution to ensure that players avoid fatigue with the series falling close to possible future competitions.
Asked about her expectations in their latest warm-up series, she hoped that the national team will apply what they have practised.
“Especially after Singapore, we have implemented a few different strategies and I wanted to see if players can execute the same under pressure.”
The national team has also included one new addition who faces a battle to adapt to the team and strategies.
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