From Left-Mahinda Dodampegama, President of Central Province Badminton Association (CPBA), Chandana Lal Karunaratne, Mayor of Nuwara Eliya, the respective winners, Rohan de Silva, President of Sri Lanka Badminton, Chamara Aluthge, Secretary (CPBA).
The hills were alive with the swish of rackets and smashing shuttles as the popular Summer Season Badminton Level-1 Championships came to an end last Tuesday. It was noteworthy the performance of Sri Lanka’s top shuttlers who left no room for contention by winning all the plums of the scintillating competition. With Olympic prospect Niluka Karunaratne away on the international qualifying circuit and his brother Dinuka domiciled in the UK on an advanced training programme, the rest of the elite squad were in fray being equal to the task.
Ranthushka Karunatilake, for long in the shadows of his more renowned exponents, came out fighting to get the better of the seasoned Buwaneka Gunetileke. The hunger Ranthushka displayed was plain to see for after giving up the first set, he clawed his way back to surprise the senior partner with a nerve wracking battle that went to the wire with a 21-19 score in the two following sets. Earlier, he partnered Buwaneka to clinch the Men s doubles with an overwhelming victory against evergreen contenders Clarence Homer and Hasitha Chanaka.
In the Women’s Open, Dilmi Dias had no major opposition clinching the Womens Singles with ease against the up and coming Ranithma Liyanage before taking the Womens doubles with her partner, Kavindika De Silva.
Young Ranithma, just 13 years of age, though beaten in the final, is certainly making an emphatic statement in the sport.
Other top ranked players to impress were Rasindu Hendahewa and Viren Nettasinghe among the men, while Panchali Adhikari and Madushika Dilrukshi were notable for the Women.
SLB President Rohan De Silva who is always seen among the Badminton Masters winning several medals both here and abroad was at hand to witness the performance of their best players in the country and also give the Summer Season event a big boost by ensuring all arrangements were fully supported to achieve a very high level of organization amidst the stringent COVID guidelines (AN)
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