The Sri Lanka team which takes part in the first ever Asian Beach Volleyball Championships, organised by the Chinese Volleyball Federation under the auspices of the Asian Volleyball Federation, came in Haikuo on Saturday (19).

Sri Lanka after their arrival here after about a 15-hour long tiresome journey told this newspaper that it would be challenging to play under cold conditions now prevailing in Haikuo.

The most veteran player in the Lankan team, Dhammia Silva, said it would be difficult to play under cold conditions with temperatures as low as 15-13 degrees Celsius after involving in training in Sri Lanka in extremely hot conditions where the temperature was as high as 30 degrees Celsius. The Sri Lanka team comprises two men’s and women’s teams.

"I’ve played in about 17 tournaments (held outside Sri Lanka) before. But other than the 2006 Qatar event, there was no other event which was held in similar cold conditions, like what you find here now. My colleagues in the team will find it extremely hard to acclimatise to these conditions," added Silva.

The Asian Beach Volleyball Championship will get underway tomorrow leaving the Lankan players only one day, Sunday, to adapt to these alien weather conditions.