The team was only only able to add one judge to their tally on the fourth and final day of prelims, facing a split loss to UAE and a unanimous defeat to Team Philippines. This meant they were tied with Canada on 5 wins and 16 judges, but Canada was able to make it through on the strength of their speaker scores.
While the team will be disappointed at not having progressed further, there are a number of victories worth appreciating in their performance this year.
First and foremost - the win over defending champions team England; this has reassured faith in the belief that Sri Lanka is up their with the very best in the world, and that we are capable of winning the tournament with commitment and hard work. Furthermore, the win will improve Sri Lanka's reputation in the tournament, as a team to watch out for in the years to come.
Second, the team's final tally was the tied second best in recent years, with 5 wins having only been secured in South Africa in 2012. Consistent performances in terms of wins will raise Sri Lanka's overall rank in the tournament in the future.
Third, the team's performance in terms of speaker scores. At the break, Team Sri Lanka had higher total speaker points than other nations that had made it into the octo finals - such as India, Pakistan, Philippines and the UAE. This shows that the emphasis on improving style to fit the demands of WSDC has paid off, and further progress can be made.
Furthermore, individually - Amrita Khandpur ranked 5th on the English as a Second Language (ESL) tab and 31st in the top 50, while Eran Fernando ranked 4th on ESL and 28th overall - Sri Lanka's highest ranking speakers to date. All 5 speakers were in the top 25 on the ESL tab.
Our heartiest congratulations to the team, and special thanks to Ms. Tamara Fernando, who played the dual role of Coach and Team Manager. They have done Sri Lanka proud!
Left to right: Amrita, Devin, Tamara, Sidath, Eran, Miriam
