McLarens shuttlers complete successful year

Friday, 19 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Shutters of the McLarens Group put up an outstanding performance to secure the top spot at the Mercantile ‘A’ Division Team Championships, which concluded on a high note at the Mercantile Badminton Courts at the CR&FC Grounds, amidst a large crowd recently.

The badminton players of the champion McLarens Group with Group Head Rohan De Silva The McLarens team, led by Navin Perera with the full support and encouragement of McLarens Group Head Rohan De Silva, was able to stamp their success throughout the year and maintained their winning streak once again, showing their prowess to remain on top of the mercantile sector. Their latest success came when they emerged both Men’s and Women’s ‘A’ division champions while grabbing the runner-up trophy in the Veterans segment.

The victorious McLarens shuttlers on the podium during the awards ceremony The men’s team of McLarens of Navin Perera, Thisara Nimmika, Upendra Jayawardena, Udara Nayanajith and Sri Lanka’s no.1 player Niluka Karunaratne. Among them, Thisara Nimmika won the best player’s crown in the Men’s singles category. Meanwhile, their women’s team, which had the services of former national women’s champion shuttler Achini Rathnasiri, Ruwini Rathnasiri and Amali Amarasinghe, succeeded in winning the Women’s team championship with Amali winning the Most Outstanding Women’s Badminton Player’s crown. The McLarens Veteran team, which had the services of Louis Karunaratne, C.D. Samantha and Rohan de Silva, was placed second in the Veterans’ group. McLarens’ shuttlers had a magnificent year, making their presence felt at all the mercantile tournaments they took part in. The company’s ‘A’ Division shuttlers registered an outstanding victory at the fourth Mercantile Badminton Association Inter-Firm Team Doubles Championship 2014 earlier this year, even without the services of Karunaratne. The played the grand final against HNB, who were the hot favorites to clinch the title. The McLarens team was too good for their opponents as they beat all odds and surprised everyone gathered to win the Grand Slam ‘A’ Division 2014 title for the McLarens Group. At the Mercantile Individual Badminton Meet, which concluded in October, the team proved their class to finish overall runners-up. The McLarens team, again playing without Karunaratne, managed to show their colours at the premier mercantile badminton meet. Rathnasiri completed a double when she emerged Women’s singles and Doubles champion. She was partnered by fellow McLarens shuttler Ruwini Rathnasiri in the Women’s Open Doubles. In the mixed doubles, she partnered fellow Mclarens player Thisara Nimmika but unfortunately had to be satisfied with the runner-up trophy after going down in a hard-fought final. Nimmika also emerged fourth in the Men’s Singles. The father of champion shuttler Niluka, Louis Karunaratne, became the Masters Singles champ. In addition to those achievements, McLarens shuttlers continued to make their presence felt at the Mercantile Individual Badminton Meet when Rohan de Silva, who heads the McLarens Group, teamed up with Louis Karunarathne to secure third place in the Masters Doubles. The overall performances of the McLarens shuttlers earned them overall runner-up status with HNB bagging the overall championship.