Sri Lanka badminton pursues professional status of elite players

• Sooriya shines on Thilini and CIC Vetcare secures Ranthushka

Last Thursday, 7 October was an auspicious day for Sri Lanka badminton! With their sights set on a professional course for their elite athletes, SLB has been in long drawn out talks with the Ministry of Sports (MOS), as well as with the National Olympic Committee (NOC). As luck, would favour the brave, the MOS since February 2021 has provided a Tier 01 sponsorship package for Buwaneka Gunetileke and Sachin Dias, the top Doubles Combination in Sri Lanka.

SLB has over the last year or so, stepped up its training regime with full-time training programs for its elite athletes at the dedicated stadium premises. Apart from on-court and physical training, a customised nutrition program has been introduced to ensure better body composition befitting top athletes. The elite athletes have been paid a stipend to help them meet training and welfare expenses while an overseas international competition schedule is about to get underway in a few days!  

NOC has now stepped into the breach and secured lucrative sponsorships for two more elite badminton athletes, Thilini Hendahewa and Ranthushka Karunatilake. Sun Match (Ceylon) Ltd., with their Sooriya brand of safety matches takes on the welfare of Thilini while CIC Vetcare has picked Ranthushka, both meticulously selected after careful evaluation by NOC marketing consultant Dr. Rohantha Athukorala.  

What is special in this sports sponsorship package is the model chosen by NOC in collaboration with SLB, to provide a personal development module and a hands-on mentoring scheme that will ensure that these athletes are offered the means to explore their full sports potential but also the means to enhance the quality of their personal lives.  

Gowri Rajan, the marketing head of Sooriya and Ajith Weerasinghe the MD of Vetcare could not be present due to personal commitments, but NOC Chief Suresh Subramaniam and SLB Treasurer Mangala Gamage did the honours signing the two agreements on behalf of the athletes, moderated by Dr. Athukorala. Thilini Hendahewa was indisposed and was not present but Ranthushka carried the program for the athletes, heralding a new paradigm for badminton in Sri Lanka.