Sri Lanka joins World Badminton Day celebrations with colourful parade

Sri Lanka on Saturday joined 217 countries in the grand celebration of World Badminton Day, which commemorates the sport’s rich history going back 90 years.

Organised by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), the colourful event took place in Colombo and was graced by the presence of Sports and Youth Affairs State Minister Rohana Dissanayake and SLB President Rohan de Silva.

The festivities began at 8:45 a.m. with a vibrant parade that featured performances by the Sri Lanka Air Force Band and bands of several schools, and was attended by over 170 young shuttlers from the regional badminton development squads and badminton academies. National badminton players, coaches from the Training Development Committee, and executive members of SLB and the technical unit also participated.

Highlighting the event was the inclusion of over 300 badminton enthusiasts and a large number of students from various schools in Colombo. The 2.8 kilometre parade started near the SLB headquarters in Maitland Place, passing through Horton Place, Albert Crescent, and Independence Square before returning to the starting point.