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The feats recorded by Shankari Thayakaran and Amresh Jayawickrema were the most notable in this year’s Colombo Championship tennis, one of the three ‘A’ Grade annual tennis tournaments ratified by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) and held for the 94th historic occasion, at the SLTA – Playing Section clay courts at Green Path.
Thayakaran created an upset when she ousted both second and first seeds respectively in Girls’ U-16 Singles to clinch the age group title.
She beat Dinushki Ranasinghe (Seed 2) in the semi-finals before getting the better of top seed and fancied Kemali Herath in the event’s final with utmost ease.
Jayawickrema meanwhile toppled Sri Lanka’s Davis Cup player this year, Sankha Atukorale, in the Men’s Open Singles quarter-finals in a four-set encounter.
In another notable match of the same category, Thangarajah Dineshkanthan beat former Davis Cup stalwart Rohan de Silva, who retired after losing 1-2 in the two players’ meeting early in the tournament.
Chalani Gunathilake, who came from Ratnapura, won the Girls U-16 final defeating fancied Thisuri Molligoda. Gunathilake was one of the five girls who represented outstations in Girls U-16 Singles category this year and created some impact against the familiar yet unhealthy domination of Colombo-based affluent players.
The Colombo Championship is to be over today (9).
Injured Soldiers Make SL Proud -
Sri Lanka, represented by three gritty Army personnel who lost their limbs during the brutal 30-year civil war, made their country proud in England by earning an unprecedented 5th place in Men’s World Group-2, out of 16 participating nations, for
Three Soldiers ...
the first time at the virtual world cup of wheelchair tennis, the Invacare World Team Cup, that ended in Nottingham last Sunday (2).
Sri Lanka, over the last five year’s of participation in this much anticipated event, has never recorded a win in at least a single tie.
Upali Rajakaruna and Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Gamini, attached to SL Army’s Singha and Gemunu regiments respectively, staged an encouraging campaign which saw them outclass 3rd seed Switzerland 3-0 on the opening day of the event (July 27).
Sri Lanka, an unseeded country, then lost to Turkey 1-2 and later ousted Colombia before getting the better of Israel 2-0 on Aug. 2 to earn a respectable 5th.
Lionel Senerath of Gemunu was the third member of the team.
The other participating nations in Men’s World Group-2 were: Austria, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Switzerland, Russia, Greece, Portugal, Israel, Chile, Turkey, South Africa, Croatia, Ecuador and Nigeria.
World’s best 16 nations take part in Men’s World Group-1 meaning Sri Lanka could hold at least the 21st place out of 32 countries in a speculative overall standings.
Migrants Impressed –
According to Lt. Col. Shiran Abeysekera, head of wheelchair tennis at the SLTA, the Sri Lankan migrants in Nottingham, impressed by the Lankans’ performances, have donated two wheelchairs and three artificial limbs to the players. A wheelchair, used for international competition, is worth around Rs.2 lakhs.
Junior Nationals From Aug. 15 -
Any ambitious tennis junior, craving to be reckoned at the top national level, will have to do well in this. The Junior Tennis Nationals, the plum event of the year, will held at the SLTA hard courts from Aug. 15-30 as the first segment of this year’s Sri Lanka Tennis National, one of the oldest annual sports competitions in the island, with close to 100 years of history behind it. The SLTA announced last Monday that the entries for the above event were to close on Aug. 8.
