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Sri Lanka’s 207 Centimetres Tall Tamil Netball Champion

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Download  Now, we move to Sri Lanka where our Colombo correspondent, DushiYanthini Kanagasabapathipillai, takes us to meet the tallest female netball player in Asia - Tharjini Sivalingam.

She stands at 6ft 10in (that’s 207 centimetres) and she is also a Tamil.

Her sport, netball, is like basketball but you can’t run with the ball or bounce it.

Twelve months after the end of the decade’s long civil war that divided Sri Lanka’s Tamil and Sinhalese communities for three decades, Sri Lanka is undergoing a period of uncomfortable reconciliation.

Tharjini Sivalingam’s success is not just a source of national pride; it is also a win for the Tamil community.

 

Last year, Tharjini Sivalingam brought glory to herself and the country. The Sri Lankan netball team emerged the winner of the Asian Championship in 2009. In the final game, she scored 74 of 77 goals.

“My shooting average is 100 percent. Now, I am very happy.”

As a young woman growing up in the predominantly Tamil city of Jaffna, Tharjini Sivalingam was often teased about her extraordinary height. It wasn’t easy for her.

To get on a bus she had to bend herself right over.

Buying clothes and shoes was also difficult.

“Those time, I am staying in my home town Jaffna. That time I am very sad. All people looking at my height. Now, never mind. I am the player. Positive and ok now.”

Her family supported her, but the difficulties she faced clearly caused her family some pain.

“Earlier, I don’t know, my friend told  me my  mother is very sad. Sometimes she is crying, now my mother is happy, I think. Tallest and famous, no? That’s the reason my mother is now very happy.”

Being selected for the national team has been hugely important in Tharjini Sivalingam’s life, turning her from the subject of teasing to one of admiration.

“I think I am very proud in myself and happy. I think happy. My friends are happy, my parents are happy, all the people are happy. I am playing netball.”

Thilaka Dhammika Jinadasa is the coach of the Sri Lankan netball team.

“I look at Tharjini as an asset for Sri Lanka. She is like a backbone for the national team. Earlier we had lack of shooting. Now, we are 100 percent confident that when the ball goes to the attacking side, it will be a successful game, because of Tharjini.”

Tharjini is not only the tallest woman on the team.

She is the only Tamil.

The rest of her teammates are Sinhalese.

This is sometimes a problem when the players and the coach mostly speak in Sinhalese or English which are second languages for Tharjini.

“On your way back, lean back, lean back. Opposite foot”.

Ishara Harshini Kiriella is one of Tharjini Sivalingam’s teammates.

“Though she is Tamil, she is a good player and good friend .Most of the time in past days she was not talking with us, she was bit nervous, but now she is ok. Now she told everything to us. I think she was shy those days, now she is ok. She is good.”

Her height has helped secure the fortunes of the Sri Lankan netball team. It also brought her confidence and personal success.

It has also brought a certain amount of fame and admiration from her fellow Tamils.

Lakshman Rajkumar is a tuk tuk driver in Colombo.

“I am very happy because she being a Tamil got a place to play for the national team in Sri Lanka. It’s God’s wish. She was born in Jaffna and got selected to play for the national team.”

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 14 June 2010 10:07 )  

Comments  

 
+8 # 2010-06-12 19:53
hy do you have to emphasize the point that she is a tamil. Muralidharan, Russel Arnold , Vallivarayan well known national cricket players are too tamils. The fact that they are exceptional Sri Lankan is wehat matter.
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+1 # 2010-06-12 20:29
Quoting Garawi:
hy do you have to emphasize the point that she is a tamil. Muralidharan, Russel Arnold , Vallivarayan well known national cricket players are too tamils. The fact that they are exceptional Sri Lankan is wehat matter.


Why Angelo Mathews....
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+2 # 2010-06-12 19:56
Srilanka,s tallest Netball Player
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+4 # 2010-06-12 21:03
What kind of an idiot you are. Because of you people the island suffered for nearly three decates. It is you who should be eliminated not only from Sri Lanka but from the planet earth for having this kind of mentality. We are all Sri Lankans when someone performs no matter who what language he speaks we are proud of that individual after all he/she is a Sri Lankan.

I hope thinking should change as it is with many Sinhalese now, but you people sow the seed of hatred. Leave Sri Lanka without causing our motherland anymore pain. God bless all Sri Lankans and our new national star.
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0 # 2010-06-12 21:27
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS!! TAMIL , TAMIL CALL HER "SRI LANKAN" INSTED. YOU ARE THE GUYS DEVIDING US. STOP THIS TAMIL NONESENCE WE ARE SRI LANKANS.!!!
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+1 # 2010-06-12 21:50
Thank you Dushiyanthini for the post and profile on Asia's tallest net ball player Tharjini Sivalingam.

Best wishes !!

Just because this is an 'un-moderated' comments site, look at all the 'garbage' being posted in the name of 'comments' !!

Its is nothing but shame!!. National identity of 'Sri Lankan' cannot be crated through 'triumphalism'.

Sports and true spirit will foster national unity. And Dushiyanthini's many writings are just doing that.
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+3 # 2010-06-12 21:55
Congratulations Tharjini Sivalingam
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+1 # 2010-06-12 23:07
Why do we still make reference to Sri Lankans in their ethnic identity. These netball players represent Sri Lanka - so why not refer to her as "Sri Lankan" and leave out her ethnicity - which does not matter at all if she's representing her country?
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0 # 2010-06-12 23:37
Sports or any other issue, we have to respect each other. If a Sinhalese like Ranil Wickramasinghe who carved out an area to LTTE, that Sinhalese is worse than this young net ball player.

Barking against TAMILS is not a show of patriotism!
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+2 # 2010-06-12 23:57
You can see the low mentality of some idiotic commentators. We as Sinhalese should be proud to have her in the National team. This is what we need to bring peace and harmony between Sinhalese and Tamils. Stop all the crap, calling her Tamil. We are Sri Lankans united as one family.
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+2 # 2010-06-13 00:07
One can be a Tamil and a proud Sri Lankan at the same time.
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0 # 2010-06-13 03:10
We asSri lankan proud of u dear
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+1 # 2010-06-13 06:42
I am really pleased to see the responses from the fellow Sri lankans this shows that we are all brothers and sisters of our mother Sri Lanka. Long live Peace in Sri Lanka. May more opportunities given to talented Tamils. I dream of the day that all Sri Lankans will be called as Sri Lankans not as Sinhalese and Tamils
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+1 # 2010-06-13 11:02
When I was in school, my classmates were people like Samuell,Jaya, Rajendra, Woods, Juhari,Tucker, Gaffor, Thawa lingam etc among others who were Sinhalese. We never felt differently. We played for the same teams and they are still my friends(except those who passed away). Reconciliation is not just a word. It takes a genuine effort to change attitudes. A common language as a link is also essential.
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0 # 2010-06-14 01:05
Interview with Ms. Tamara Kunanayakam, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Cuba

Check the following link. You will learn to respect and trust Patriotic Tamil Sri Lankans :

http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/06/_is_there_a_move_to_make_venez.html
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0 # 2010-06-15 00:58
Dear Ms. DushiYanthini Kanagasabapathi pillai ,

Please accept my gratitude for your wonderful report. I wish yuo and Ms. Tharjini Sivalingam, the very best!

Sincerely,

Lalith
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