Golfers share their experience at MercedesTrophy Asian Finals at Gold Coast

The Asian Finals of the most coveted amateur golf tournament of the world—MercedesTrophy was recently concluded at Gold Coast, Australia. The two-day tournament held at the Sanctuary Cove Golf Club saw the participation of golf enthusiasts from nine countries, who competed vying for a chance to participate in the World Finals, to be held in Stuttgart, Germany this October.

Thusith Wijesinghe (Captain), Kamlesh Johnpillai, Chandima Rodrigo, Dr. Rohitha Silva, Dharshan De Silva, Rohan Fernandez and Petra Mohard — winners of the MercedesTrophy Country Finals, which was held in Nuwara Eliya participated in the Asian Finals representing the country.

Kamalesh Johnpillai emerged victorious out of the Sri Lankan team, teeing off to be qualified to participate in the World Finals. Commenting on the team’s performance, Wijesinghe who captained the Sri Lankan team said, “Our team played with true sportsmanship, sharing the passion and spirit of golf even though we couldn’t perform up to our potential. Nevertheless, it was a fabulous experience and I am honoured to have been able to lead such a wonderful team.”  

Throughout the tournament, the players were treated to an unforgettable experience combining their passion for the game and their love for the three-pointed star. The opportunity of being able to test drive the latest models of Mercedes-Benz, while experiencing amazing hospitality and enjoying exquisite culinary, altogether treated the six golfers and their spouses to an unforgettable experience.

“It was a really good experience and one that I would cherish for a very long time. Simply, it is one of the best events I have ever been to,” said Johnpillai.

In agreement with him, Dr. Silva added, “We got to interact with wonderful people from different countries and cultures and above all the test driving experience was definitely the main highlight. We got to drive the latest models of S and C classes. We were educated about the cars and their features and quite frankly the technology that is used in Mercedes-Benz cars are amazing, especially in terms of safety. Much focus has been given to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers with features such as automatic parking and breaking; there is even a wake up alarm if the driver is falling asleep! When you get to know about how meticulously these cars are designed, you become not just an owner, but a proud owner of a Mercedes-Benz car.”

Shyamalee Wijesinghe, wife of Wijesinghe, being nominated as the ‘Driver of the Day’ during test-drive sessions and also as Mrs. Friendliest was another highlight of the event as well. The Sri Lankan team was well received by all participants. “We performed at dinner on the second date, where we were dressed in traditional costumes—sarongs and the ladies in sarees—and sang and danced to Sri Lankan music. Everyone enjoyed it and we got them to join us as well,” added Wijesinghe.

All participants expressed their delight in the Asian Finals, which they said was well organized from the time of arrival to their departure. “This year’s Country Finals was the first time I participated in the MercedesTrophy. Both country and the Asian Finals were very well organised, in fact I regret not taking part earlier. We had a very good time and DIMO and Mercedes really looked after us,” said Chandima Rodrigo.

The Country Finals of the MercedesTrophy is organised each year by Diesel and Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO), the Authorized Distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Sri Lanka, where the only requirement for participation is to be an owner of a Mercedes-Benz. DIMO recently hosted the golfers and their spouses for dinner at Galle Face Hotel to appreciate their effort in representing the country at this prestigious tournament.