Viren, Ranithma clinch Southern Open badminton titles

Top seeds Viren Nettasinghe and Ranithma Liyanage were crowned men’s and women’s champions respectively at the Premasiri Halabage Memorial Southern Open All Island Badminton Championships 2022, after recording thrilling victories over their respective counterparts in finals.

At the Dharmasoka College Indoor Stadium, Ambalangoda, Nettasinghe beat number two seed Dumindu Abeywickrama 18-21, 21-18, 21-8 to lift the title in a final which saw fitting opponents pitted together. 

Nettasinghe had reached the final after outplaying Saehul Islam in the semi-final while Abeywickrama had beaten Rasindu Hendahewa to reach the title clash.

Meanwhile, Liyanage also had to push hard against the second seed and the reigning national champion Dilmi Dias to lift the singles crown. 

The three-set final saw scores of 20-22, 21-17, and 23-21 in favour of the top seed.

Liyanage outplayed Dasithma Jayathilaka 21-14 21-17 to enter the final while Dias defeated Panchali Adikari, seeded third, 23-21, 21-15 in the semis.Earlier, Buwaneka Goonathilake and Dias Sachin beat Sasindu Ranthuska and Saehul 21-19, 21-16 to emerge as men’s doubles champions while Dias and Thilini Hendahewa defeated Buthmi Galagamage and Nadeesha Gayanthi 21-10, 21-5 to become women’s doubles champions.

Sachin Dias and Hendahewa won the mixed doubles title after defeating Lochana de Silva and Sasini Hansamali in straight sets (21-8, 21-16).

The Championships were organised by the Southern Province Badminton Association (SPBA) under the auspices of Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) while over 870 shuttlers vied for honours.

SPBA OPEN 2022: Champions

XD 60: L.G.Amrathunga / Wijayalakshmi Punchihewa

MD 60: Ajith Wijesinghe / Azzar Hamdoon

MS 60: Sunil Jayasiri

MS 55: Rohan Fernando

XD 50: Kamal Gamlath / Malika Waduge 

MD 50: Champika Periyapperuma / Darshana Senarathna

MS 50: George Karunanayake

WD 45: Malika Waduge / Ranjani Senavirathne

MD 45: Senaka Attanayake / Dhammika Wannigasekara (NDBA)

WS 45: Wijayalakshmi Punchihewa

MS 45: Janaka Subash

MD 40: Sahan Pradeep / Upendra Jayawardena

MS 40: Conrad de Silva

MD 35: Gayan Charith / Ranga Lasantha (Shuttlers Badminton)

MS 35: Lasantha Thilakawardena

XD 30: Iresh De Silva / Ruvini Rathnasiri

MD 30: Hasitha Chanaka / Rajitha Dahanayake (Sampath Bank)

WS 30: Ruvini Rathnasiri

MS 30: Prasanna Udayakumara (SL Army)

GD U19: N.Palliyaguru / Sanadhi Dahamsa (Dharmasoka College)

BD U19: Jason Homer / Savinaka Weerasekara (Rising Star/DS Senanayaka College)

GS U19: Dasithma Jayathilaka (Active Sports)

BS U19: Aashinsa Herath (Royal College)

GD U17: Ranumi Suhasnie Manage / Thiseja Dhamnadie Herath (Musaeus College)

BD U17: Shenuk Samararathne / Pulina Wellalage (St Sebastian’s College)

GS U17: Sithuki Onadee (Active Sports)

BS U17: Pulina Wellalage (St Sebastian’s College)

GD U15: Sanuthi Gurusinghe / Pawani Illeperumaachchi (Active Sports)

BD U15: Mihila Jayaweera / Udantha de Silva (LISW/St Joseph’s College)

GS U15: Luckshana Sanjeewakumar (LISW)

BS U15: Mihila Jayaweera (LISW)

GD U13: M.G.T Ayansa / Benuri Vipulaguna (Sridhamma College)

BD U13: Duvindu Edirisinghe / Pubudu Sathsara (St Sebastian’s College)

GS U13: Benuri Vipulaguna (ENF)

BS U13: Amavan Amarasinghe (LISP)

XD: Sachin Dias / Thilini Hendahewa

WD: Dilmi Dias / Thilini Hendahewa

MD: Goonathilake Buwaneka / Sachin Dias (SL Army)

WS: Ranithma Liyanage (Christ Church Girls College)

MS: Viren Nettasinghe (St Peter’s College)