Badminton Nationals 2020 to serve on 17 February from 3 top locations

Friday, 12 February 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The 2020 Nationals, deferred from the original timing in Dec 2020, will now serve the anxious wait of many of the country’s top players from 17-21 February at three locations – SLB, MBA & Otters SC Courts – the latter included due to the large number of entries received.

Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) has announced that this premier event will also kick-off their program for 2021.

The reigning men’s and women’s singles champions, Olympian Niluka Karunaratne and Dilmi Dias, will begin their title defence at the Mercantile Badminton Association courts, with over 795 shuttlers expected to be seen in action during the five-day championships in the heart of Colombo. SLB confirms that the championships will see 763 matches being played at the three venues. All top-ranked shuttlers have been drawn under their respective categories and age groups at the prestigious event.

Top contenders in the calibre of Lochana de Silva, Ranthushka Karunatilake, Chamath Dias and Dinuka Karunaratne, will try their best to dethrone one of the most decorated Badminton Stars in the history of Sri Lanka Badminton, Niluka, in the men’s singles, while veteran Chandrika de Silva will join a draw which also includes Hasini Ambalangodage, Madushika Dilrukshi and Nadeesha Gayanthi, in the hunt for the women’s singles crown held by Dias.

Apart from the open events, matches will be conducted under the following age groups: boys and girls U-15, U-17, U-19 singles, and doubles; men’s U-35 singles; men’s and women’s U-40, 45 and 50 singles and doubles; men’s U-55, 60 singles and doubles; men’s U-55, 60 and over 65 doubles. While gearing up for an improved Nationals, SLB added as many events as possible, starting from the U-17 Boys and Girls category, to the 50+ Women’s Doubles and 65+ Men’s Doubles, due to popular demand from keen Badminton enthusiasts. The Open events will of course draw the cream of badminton talent.

The 2020 Championships was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and later the surge of entries and several requests from Badminton enthusiasts compelled SLB to postpone the landmark 2020 event again by a week. SLB intends to invite Badminton Champions of yesteryear to witness the finals and fete this year’s winners on Sunday 21 Feb.

The tournament will be conducted as approved by the Ministry of Sports and according to health guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

The matches will be broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook via the SLB and SLSBA official channels.