Training program for young shuttlers conducted at S. Thomas’ Bandarawela by Coach Piumika

Thursday, 9 January 2025 00:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Coach Piumika Fernando

Piumika Fernando, a well-known badminton Coach based in Canada, conducted a successful coaching program at S. Thomas'College, Bandarawela recently, targeting young and aspiring talents of the school. The youngest daughter of renowned international Coach Dharshana Fernando, whose alma mater is S. Thomas’, usually conducts the annual training program in Bandarawela, but this time around he tasked Piumika to train the young shuttlers at the school’s Keble Memorial Hall.

A former world champion in Racketlon, a combination of four racquet sports – badminton, squash, table tennis and tennis – Piumika also functions as Deputy Head Coach of Fernando’s Youth Badminton Academy in Canada, founded and headed by her father Dharshana. The training program conducted by Piumika mainly covered important facts, namely winning strategies in badminton, injury prevention and rehab of most common badminton injuries, as well as on advanced training techniques on and off the court. Her impressive credentials and extensive coaching experience was clearly evident as she guided young shuttlers of S’ Thomas’ Bandarawela with her unparalleled expertise.

The training program conducted by Piumika was a follow-up to the two-day workshop conducted by Dharshana earlier this year in March at the same venue. Following her father’s footsteps, Piumika too had been actively involved in badminton, as a player and now as a coach and trainer. A Level 2 certificate holder of Canadian National Coaching Certification Programme, Piumika holds BSc in Kinesiology from University of Toronto, a Masters in Physiotherapy from the University of Brighton, (UK) and a Diploma of advanced Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy. She is also a registered Physiotherapist in Canada, and has been an integral part of Fernando’s Youth Badminton Academy in Canada as Deputy Head Coach for the past 16 years.

“I’m delighted and overwhelmed by the positive feedback from the Old Boys’ Association of S’ Thomas’ Bandarawela, following Piumika’s training program. I’m sure it benefited the young players of S’ Thomas’ College. Usually I conduct this program annually to assist my alma mater as way of showing my gratitude, and I’m even happier that my youngest daughter took the trouble to come forward and conduct a follow-up program even during her vacation,” said a delighted Coach Dharshana Fernando.