Entering 2nd round is creditable Says Niluka Karunaratne

Sri Lanka should be satisfied that their shuttlers were able to enter the second round of the Asian Badminton Championships in New Delhi as they were competing in a competition which was dominated by several world class players. This sentiment was expressed by Sri Lanka’s leading badminton player Niluka Karunaratne.

Sri Lanka lost her only hope when the Karunaratne brothers Nilika and Dinuka were defeated in the second round of the men’s doubles event at the Asian Badminton Championships in New Delhi.
The Korean duo of Gun Woo Cho and Yeon Seong You took the game 2-0 thus doing away the need of playing a third set.

Players from 20 countries amounting to about 300 players took part in the championships.
With this defeat every member of the Sri Lanka contingent bowed out of the Asian championships.
India is hosting the championship as a forerunner for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the same city in October this year.

(www.sundaytimes.lk)

Unimpressive Sri Lankan shuttlers crushed in India

Sri Lanka lost her last hope yesterday when the Karunaratne brothers, Niluka and Dinuka, succumbed to defeat in the second round of the men's double event at the Asian Badminton Championships, 2010, in New Delhi, India. The Korean duo of Gun Woo Cho and Yeon Seong You pocketed the game 2-0, thus doing away the need for a third set.

With this defeat, every member of the Sri Lankan contingent has bowed out of the Asian Championship. Only the Karunaratne brothers, Niluka and Dinuka, managed to progress towards the second round.

The Karunaratne brothers battled determinedly against the Koreans yesterday. They lost the first round 16/21 and then conceded the game by losing 15-21 in the second. However, Niluka and Dinuka were able to beat their Pakistani counterparts in the tournament and were content with their achievements.

“Our main focus was on the singles event. Therefore we are really happy as we managed to stretch the Korean players and earlier beat the Pakistanis" elder brother Niluka said after the game. In the women's doubles event, Achini Ratnasiri and Upuli Samanthika lost the first round game by 2 sets to nil. The scores read 21/08 and 21/10.

World's number one, Dan Lee has already qualified for the semi finals in the men's individual event while India's national champion Sania Nehwal also booked her place in the quarter finals of the women's singles event.

The tournament concludes tomorrow. India is hosting this championship as a forerunner for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the same city in October this year.

(www.dailymirror.lk)

Asian shuttle championships begin today

Asian shuttle championships begin today

Three hundred participants from 20 countries will be in action from today at the Asian Badminton championships which start today at Sri Port indoor sports complex in New Delhi, India.

Sri Lanka national champion Niluka Karunarathne will play against Asian number seven Hong Kong Yun Hu in the singles event scheduled to be played today while Dinuka Karunaratne and Chandrika de Silva will also the in action in the Doubles against Bangladesh. According to Dinuka Karunaratne the Sri Lanka standard is higher than that Bangladesh “Sri Lanka will have a chance to win the first round match against Bangladesh” he said.

According to the tournament’s mens rankings, Tawfik Hidayat of Indonesia is ranked first followed by world champion and Olympic medalist Lin Dan in second place.

This will be the fourth time India will be organizing the Asian tournament and winners of this tournament will be awarded 150,000 US dollars.

(www.dailymirror.lk)

15-year old Achini for Asian badminton championship

15-year old Achini for Asian badminton championship

Fifteen year old Sri Lankan Achini Ratnasiri will be among a seasoned and professional band of world badminton players who will contest the Asian Badminton Championships to be held in New Delhi starting on April 12.

Achini caused a major upset when she bagged the National title last year while Sri Lanka’s only Olympic player Thilini Jayasinghe has fallen to the number nine rank and not found a place in the eight-member team which leaves today.

Jayasinghe represented Sri Lanka as the first badminton player at an Olympics in 2008 in Beijing.

Twenty countries will contest the tournament including the world’s top five nations China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

Sri Lanka’s singles champ on nine occasions Niluka Karunaratne is in the team while so is 11 times winner Chandrika de Silva.

In the Under-16 Asian meet this year Achini teamed up with Upuli Samanthika to win a first time Gold Medal.

Sri Lanka squad: Dinuka Karunaratne, Niluka Karunaratne, Hasitha Chanaka, R. S. Dahanayake, Lasitha Meneka. Women: Chandrika de Silva and Achini Ratnasiri, Upuli Samanthika. Coach: Danesh Maliyawadu.

(www.dailymirror.lk)

They went, saw but did not conquer

It was yet another disappointing performance by the Sri Lankan shuttlers at the Yonex-Sunrise Asia Youth Under 19 Badminton Championships that was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently.

In the Mixed Team event, they were completely whitewashed 5-0 by Thailand. The only redeeming feature was in the women’s doubles where Achini Ratnasiri and Samanthika Weerasinghe took the first set (21-12) off Kititarakul Chonthicha and Phetmaneelumkha Rassanan, but the next two sets were won by the Thailand pair, though the Sri Lankan girls went down fighting before conceding 21-19 in the third set.

In the ‘tie’ against Philppines, Sri Lanka gave a better account of themselves where they won men’s and mixed doubles.

However, it was unfortunate that Sri Lanka was drawn into Group’C’ with Thailand one of the strongest team in the circuit and Philippines.

Results:

Mixed Team event – Thailand beat Sri Lanka 5-0

Mixed doubles: Apisuk Inkarat and Taerattanachai Sapsiree beat Dilshan Kariyawasam and Samanthika Weerasinghe 21-11, 21-17.

Men’s singles: Poodchalat beat Nuwan Perera 21-3, 21-11.

Women’s singles: Intanon Ratchanok beat Achini Ratmasiri. 21-14, 21/9.

Men’s doubles: Ampunsuwan Wannawat and Istiyanet Tinn beat Dilshan Kariyawasam and Vishwanath Dharmawardena 21-12, 21-14.

Women’s doubles: Kititarakul Chonthicha and Phetmaneelumka Raassanan beat Achini Ratnasiri and Samanthika Weerasinghe 12-21, 21-12, 21-19.

Philippines beat Sri Lanka 3-2

Women’s singles: Ann Venice beat Achini Ratnasiri 21-18,21-9.

Men’s singles: Philip Joper beat Vishwanath Dharmawardena 12-15, 21 -15.

Women’s doubles: Ann Venice and Gelita Castilo beat Achini Ratnasiri and Samanthika Weerasinghe 21-16, 21-15.

Men’ doubles: Dilshan Kariyawasam and Vishwanath Dharmawardena 19-21, 21-10, 21-17.

Mixed doubles: Dilshan Kariyawasam and Samanthika Weerasinghe beat Philip Joper and Gelita Castilo 21-7, 21-3, 21-0.

(www.dailymirror.lk)