Went into a tantrum claims Chandrika Silva…
By T.B. Rahaman
Sri Lanka’s top badminton player Niluka Karunaratne has been suspended by the Badminton Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on alleged misbehaviour at a tournament held in Anuradhapura recently.
President of the BASL Roshan Gunawardana told ‘Daily Mirror’ that according to reports submitted by the match referee and the umpire concerned Karunaratne is alleged to have conducted himself in an unbecoming manner and was found to be the guilty party.
The trouble had cropped up during a mixed doubles semi-final match between Dinuka Karunaratne (Niluka’s brother) and his partner and Chandrika de Silva and her partner.
The match had gone into a third set with the first two being shared. During the third set, it was Chandrika de Silva and her partner who were leading on 20/17 when Niluka Karunaratne who was also playing in the adjoining court had finished his match hurriedly and gone near the court where his brother Dinuka was playing. Thereafter Niluka had begun to cheer in a loud voice standing just beside the court.
Chandrika de Silva told ‘Daily Mirror’ that Niluka was shouting at the top of his voice and was casting remarks at her (Chandrika). Thereafter, his brother Dinuka and partner went on to win the match 23/21.
“Soon after the match was over and even before we could shake hands with the opponents or even before the umpires could get off the chairs Niluka was inside the court shouting, hooting and used bad language on me,” added Chandrika.
“After that I asked him why he was saying bad thinks about me, and my younger brother heard him using bad language on me. When my brother confronted Niluka to calm him down, he and his two brothers began attacking my brother and my elder brothers too were forced to get involved,” said Chandrika.
As the tournament was continued the next day and as Niluka Karunaratne is employed at the Air Force, the Air Force gave him security for the rest of the tournament.
Incidentally, Chandrika de Silva has been the country’s women’s singles champion on several occasions.
Niluka Karunaratne is the current men’s singles champion and both of them represented Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi early this month.
Niluka Karunaratne was not available for comment.
(www.dailymirror.lk)
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