SLB Vice President Deepal Madurapperuma (left) and Nationalised Services Badminton Association Secretary Upul Gamlath (right) with the Women’s Doubles podium winners Achini Rathnasiri, Upuli Weerasinghe, Kavindika de Silva, Dilmi Dias, Chamya Nandasiri and Yasmitha Wedamulla
Emerging star Lochana de Silva secured a treble while former national champion Achini Rathnasiri sealed a double at the Nationalised Services Badminton Association (NSBA) Open Badminton Tournament which was concluded at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.
Lochana, aged 17, toppled second-seeded Maduka Dulanjana to clinch the Open Men’s Singles title with a 21-15, 21-12 margin before winning both Boys under-19 singles and doubles honours.
In the boys U19 singles final, de Silva beat Venura Pelawatte 21-12, 21-12 before teaming up with Thulith Palliyaguru to outplay top seeded Deegayu Kahatapitiya and Lakindu Ranaweera 21-19, 22-20 in the doubles.
In the women’s category, three-time national champion Achini was too good for finalist Kavindika de Silva who went down without much of a fight. Achini won the Open Women’s Singles crown following her 21-7, 21-6 win against Kavindika.
Achini won her second title when she partnered with Upuli Weerasinghe to beat Kavindika and Dilmi Dias 21-5, 21-12.
In the Open Mixed doubles, Hasitha Chanaka and Upuli Weerasinghe defeated Muhammad and Chandrika De Silva 21-17, 21-23, 21-18.
The annual level one ranking tournament, sanctioned by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), offered a total of Rs. 500,000 in prize money and was conducted on 10 courts at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium simultaneously.
More than 1,200 shuttlers took part in the five-day tournament which was recognised as one of the largest events of the year, sectioned by SLB.
NSBA Open Badminton Tournament – Finals
- Men’s Singles: Lochana de Silva (8) beat Maduka Dulanjana (2) 21-15, 21-12
- Women’s Singles: Achini Rathnasiri (3) beat Kavindika De Silva 21-7, 21-6
- Men’s Doubles: Chiran Sudeera, Lahiru Weerasinghe (6) beat Hasitha Chanaka, Thulith Palliyaguru (1) 19-21, 21-19, 21-9
- Women’s Doubles: Achini Rathnasiri, Upuli Weerasinghe (1) beat Kavindika de Silva, Dilmi Dias 21-5, 21-12
- Mixed Doubles: Hasitha Chanaka, Upuli Weerasinghe (3) beat Muhammad, Chandrika De Silva 21-17, 21-23, 21-18
- Boys’ Singles U11: Senuth Sethmitha beat Chenal Dewshan 15-12, 15-11
- Girls’ Singles U11: Sandaruvi Jayalath beat Isuri Attanayake 15-13, 15-9
- Boys’ Singles U13: Akindu Jayathilake beat Ranthuka Rupathunga 15-11, 15-9
- Girls’ Singles U13: Nethmi Rathnayake beat Komuthu Kumarapperuma 12-15, 15-10, 15-11
- Boys’ Doubles U13: Akindu Jayathilake, Mihila Jayaweera beat Sanuda Ariyasinha, Ranthuka Rupathunga 15-12, 15-12
- Girls’ Doubles U13: Thiseja Herath, Ranumi Manage beat Dilshi Dissanayake, Lorani Weerasinghe 15-9, 21-19
- Boys’ Singles U15: Aashinsa Herath (4) beat Luwin Kodippili (5) 21-17, 23-21
- Girls’ Singles U15: Varangana Jayawardana (6) beat Pravina Wijesundara (1) 21-15, 22-20
- Boys’ Doubles U15: Manthuka Rupathunga, Santhosh Tharaneesparan (1) beat Luwin Kodippili, Vidush Sumanadasa (3) 23-21, 18-21, 21-11
- Girls’ Doubles U15: Irushi Amandi, Nethanga Palliyaguru (1) beat Dinethya Jayindi, Dewni Ubesiriwardhana (8) 21-7, 21-15
- Boys’ Singles U17: Savinaka Weerasekara (2) beat Kavindu Salgadu 11-21, 21-7, 21-8
- Girls’ Singles U17: Sasini Hansamali (3) beat Chanushi Jayodha 21-7, 21-10
- Boys’ Doubles U17: Thenuka De Silva, Viren Nettasinghe (2) beat Jason Homer, Manuth Pelawatta (6) 21-18, 21-19
- Girls’ Doubles U17: Panchali Adhikari, Manudi Mithara (1) beat Chanushi Jayodha, Pankajee Wickramasinghe (3) 21-12, 21-16
- Boys’ Singles U19 Lochana de Silva (4) beat Venura Pelawatte (13) 21-12, 21-12
- Girls’ Singles U19: Dilmi Dias (2) beat Anurangi Masakorala (1) 21-8, 21-12
- Boys’ Doubles U19: Lochana de Silva, Thulith Palliyaguru (2) beat Deegayu Kahatapitiya, Lakindu Ranaweera (1) 21-19, 22-20
- Girls’ Doubles U19: Dilmi Dias, Anurangi Masakorala
- Men’s Singles Over 35: Muhammad beat Amila Yatapana (3) 21-13, 21-19
- Men’s Singles Over 40: Hiruna Dissanayake (5) beat Conrad De Silva (8) 21-19, 19-21, 21-19
- Women’s Singles Over 40: Vipuli Abeysekara
- Men’s Doubles Over 40: Clarence Homer, Upendra Jayawardena (1) beat Randika Peiris, Nihan Ranasinghe (2) 21-10, 21-18
- Women’s Doubles Over 40: Vipuli Abeysekara, Kaushali Dissanayake (1) beat K.D.A.U. Gamage, Ramani Gunasekara 21-9, 21-10
- Men’s Singles Over 50: Darshana Senarathna (1) beat Tyronne Peiris 21-15, 21-19
- Men’s Doubles Over 50: R. Pathirane, Niroshana Wijekoon (1) beat Mangala Gamage, Kamal Gamlath (2) 21-19, 21-14
- Men’s Singles Over 60: W.M. Ariyasena (1) beat Parakrama Basnayake (2) 21-9, 21-10
- Men’s Doubles Over 60: Rohan De Silva, Louie Karunarathne (2) beat W.M. Ariyasena, Parakrama Basnayake (1) 21-13, 19-21, 21-11
