Chandrika wins Gold in Canada

Chandrika wins Gold in Canada

Chandrika de Silva clinched the Gold medal and the Women’s Senior Champion title in the 5th World Senior Badminton Championships at the Richmond Olympic Oval, Canada recently. The biennial event was represented by 42 countries this year which consist of singles, doubles events for 35-65 years age category men and women along with the mixed double event.

Chandrika defeated world number one Canadian Chamani Reed in the singles final 2-0, (21/16, 21/16).

She beat world number two Panila Stong (Denmark) in the quarter final match, 2-0 while beating Canadian Suneetha Karr, 3-2 in the semi final. Chandrika is an old girl of Swarnapali Balika Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura and has won the Sri Lanka Open women’s Championship on 11 occasions. She has won several medals in international events including the mixed double gold medal in the Syrian tournament.

(www.dailynews.lk)

Qualifying round matches for SSC Open

Preparations for the upcoming SSC Open have gathered momentum and the organisers of the tournament state that they have to conduct a qualifying round, due to excessive entries.

A spokesman for the organising committee told ‘The Island’ that they would conduct qualifying round matches for boys and girls contesting the Under-11, 13 and 15 events. These qualifying round matches will be held at the Sri Lanka Badminton Federation courts on August 30 and 31.

The SSC Open will be held from September 1 to 5 in Colombo. The tournament is organised by the Sinhalese Sports Club and the Sri Lanka Badminton Federation. (RN)

(www.island.lk)

SLSBA to conduct W. Jinasena De Silva doubles

The Sri Lanka Schools Badminton Association with the North Western Province Badminton Association will conduct the 6th W. Jinasena De Silva Memorial All Island Inter Schools under 15, Doubles Team Championships from August 8 to 11.

The tournament sponsorship is facilitated by the Mercantile Badminton Association and the main sponsor of the tournament will once again be S.K.M. Lanka Holdings who will be sponsoring the event for the fifth successive year.

The preliminary matches will be played at the Municipal Council Indoor Stadium and Maliyadeva College, while the finals are scheduled to be shifted back to the Municipal Indoor Stadium commencing at 3.00 p.m.

This year the tournament has attracted 41 boys and 37 girls’ schools.

Last year, Ananda College won the boys championship, while Anula Vidyalaya were the girls champions.

(www.dailymirror.lk)

Nationalised Services Badminton next week

The Annual Nationalised Services Badminton Championships for 2011 will be played from Monday, May 23 to 25 at the SSC courts. Maitland Place, Colombo 7.

The championships will be for both men and women and the following institutions will be represented. Sri Lanka Transport Board, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, People’s Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Employees Trust Fund, Central Bank, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, National Savings Bank and ITN.

(www.dailymirror.lk)

Achini and Upuli win gold for Sri Lanka Iran Fajal International Badminton Competition

Achini Ratnasiri and Upuli Samanthika with the deputy President of the Sri Lanka Badminton Association, Parakkrama Basnayake pose for a photograph on their arrival. Pic. by Prasad Kumaranasinghe

by Manjula D. Phillips

Young shuttles Achini Ratnasiri and Upuli Samanthika were able to crown Sri Lanka with a gold medal at an international badminton competition. They won gold for the women’s double event at the Iran Fajal International Badminton competition, worked off from February 16 to 19 at Tehran, Iran.

Thirty one countries participated in this Championship, organized and conducted by Iran Badminton Association.

Achini and Upuli, the national champions of the women’s double event here beat two Canadian shuttles (Chameni Redd and Nicole Gather) in the grand final of the event. Incidentally, the Sri Lanka duo who are just 17 years of age beat a pair ranked 17th in the world rankings.

Achini Ratnasiri is also the current national women’s Champion. She won the title last month at the 58th Badminton Nationals.

"I am quite happy about our performances at the competition. It’s especial because we are still school girls," said Achini in a telephone interview.

"Competitors from 12 countries took part in the event and it was a great pleasure to win the title for the country by beating all of them. It was a nice experience to beat them in the finals by 2-0," she said.

Incidentally, the Sri Lanka shuttlers had struggled to find sponsors to take part in this international event. In response to a query about hardships experienced Achini said that a part of her expenses were born by a sponsor, while her partner had to find her own expenses.

"Yes. We found it difficult to find sponsors. My sponsor paid half of my air ticket while I had to find the other half and money for my other expenses. My partner had to find all the expenses on her own."

Achini said that World Badminton Championship is her next international event and she is currently focusing on it. The World Badminton Championship will be held in August in England.

Meanwhile, she also thanked her coach Srimal Aponso, her school Principal and her parents for helping her to reach international level in badminton.

(www.island.lk)

Achini, Upuli win gold in Iran

Achini, Upuli win gold in Iran

Achini Ratnasiri and Upuli Samanthika won the gold medal in the Iran Sajal Badminton Championships held in Teheran today.
(www.dailymirror.lk)

Shuttlers for Iran Fajal Championships

Five women comprising Chandrika De Silva, Achini Ratnasiri, Tilini Jayasinghe, Nadeesha Gayanthi and Upuli Samanthika along with one male shuttler Niluka Karunaratne left for Tehran on Thursday, February 10 to participate in the Iran Fajal Badminton Championships from 16 to 19 February, which have been organized by the Iran Badminton Society in Tehran.

The Sri Lankans will be participating in the singles as well as the doubles events. The other countries who have confirmed their participation are, Canada, France, Turkey, Pakistan, Mauritius, Algeria, Greece, Malaysia, Singapore, Syria, Philippines, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Norway.

(www.dailymirror.lk)

Shuttle double for Achini

Shuttle double for Achini

The 58th National Badminton Championships concluded on a grand note at the Royal College indoor sports complex yesterday. Achini Ratnasiri won a double in the women’s tournament while Dinuka Karunaratne clinched the Men’s Singles title.

Women’s National Badminton champion Achini Ratnasiri in action. Picture by Prince Gunasekara

Achini beat Chandrika de Silva in the women’s singles final by 21/12, 23/21 and in the Women’s doubles final Achini with her partner Upuli Weerasinghe won over Amali Amarasinghe and Nadeesha Gayanthi (21/13, 21/6).

Dinuka Karunaratne overcame Eranga Fernando (21/14, 21/7) in the Men’s singles Final. Dinuka is the brother of nine time National Champion Niluka Karunaratne.

In the men’s doubles final match R S Kasun and Nuwan Hettiarachchi won over Hasitha Chanaka and R S Dahanayake (21/18, 18/21, 21/17) after a close contest.

Lasitha Menaka and Chandrika de Silva edged out Nuwan Hettiarachchi and Achini Ratnasiri in the Mixed doubles final match (11/21, 21/16, 21/17).

The chief guest at the awards ceremony Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage addressing the gathering appealed to parents to encourage children to take part in sports as the Government has negotiated with the Higher Education Ministry to consider 10 admissions to the university faculties on the basis of international sports events participation.

He further explained the Sports Ministry’s new scheme of monthly payment to National and international level players. “Badminton will be a main hope of a medal for Sri Lanka in the 2018 Commonwealth Games,” the Minister said.

Sri Lanka Badminton Association officials, School players and a large number of people were present at the event.

Other results:

Plate Championships

Girl’s: Yashmitha Wedamulla beat Sithara Jinithanjala (21/13, 21/14).

Boy’s: Senura Hapuarachchi won over Hirantha Thilekaratne (13/21, 21/15, 21/17)

Over 40 singles

Niroshan Wijekoon beat Clarance Homer (21/11, 14/21, 21/7)

Over 40 doubles

Clarance Homer and Harsha Hettiarachchi won over Darshana Senarathne and Niroshan Wijekoon (21/16, 21/19)

Over 50 singles

Parakrama Basnayake beat W Ariyasena (21/16, 14/21, 22/20)

Over 50 doubles

Parakrama Basnayake and N Gunasiri won over W Ariyasena and S Perera (21/15, 21/15)

(www.dailynews.lk)

Thilini Jayasinghe stretched to three sets

Thilini Jayasinghe was stretched to three sets before overcoming Suboda Dahanayake 21/09, 24/26. 21/19 in a women’s singles, second round match on the opening day of the 58th National Badminton Championships yesterday at the Royal College Sports Complex.

Results

Women’s singles. Lihini Wijesinghe beat M. Ptiyankara 21/16, 21/17, Chandrika Perera beat N. Lakmini 21/09 21/08. Maneshi Fonseka beat Y. Jayarathne 21/08, 21/11. Upuli Samanthika beat Y. Wedamulla 21/14, 21/13. Thilini Jayasinghe beat C. Nirmali 21/07, 21/12. Suboda Dahanayke beat S. Ruwanari 21/08, 21/08. Gayani Perera beat R. Widyani 2/04, 21/106. Thilini Pramodika beat U. Ratnayake 21/06, 21/06. Lihini Wijesinghe beat R, Chathurika 21/16, 21/17. Kavindi Ishandika beat K.M. Ranmuthu 21/01, 21/17. Amali Amarasinghe beat T. Wijesinghe 21/02, 21/08. Leka Shehani beat N. Hettiarachchci 21/04, 21/08. P. Pasqual beat D. Ranmuthu 21/06, 21/06. Nadeesha Gayanthri beat K Silva 21/07, 21/04. Sachini Samarasinghe beat M. Ranawara 21/06, 21/09. Achini Ratnasiri beat S. Janithanjalee 21/03, 21/10.

(www.dailymirror.lk)

Badminton players free to play

Sri Lanka’s leading shuttlers Niluka Karunaratne and Chandrika de Silva are now eligible to play again.

The Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA) announced that its executive committee unanimously decided to lift the ban on these two players that was imposed last year. They were found guilty of misconduct during a provincial tournament held in Anuradhapura.

However, the two players have to submit a declaration in writing to the SLBA admitting their misdeeds with an assurance that no such violations of misconduct will be repeated in the future. (TBR)

(www.dailymirror.lk)