Johanne, Nihansa best Junior Shuttlers

Johanne De Silva, a Thomian schoolboy representing the Shuttle Power Badminton Academy and Nihansa Medis of Our Lady of Victories. Convent, Moratuwa exhibited their prowess to win the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles at the 56th Novices Badminton Championship 2016 organised by the Sri Lanka Badminton Association and worked-off at the SLBA Courts recently.

A hectic battle was witness in the Men’s Singles where Johanne De Silva coached by Asanka Pieris and his opponent Hansa Sandaruwan De Silva took the game to the wire exhibiting a high standard of power badminton. Losing the first set Johanne De Silva came back to win the second and the decoding third set to clinched the champi- onship 2-1. In the Women’s Singles finals Nihansa Medis didn’t find going smooth as Roshni Iresha Fernando fought hard before the latter went down 2-0. H. Sandaruwan partnered by Malithi Priyanka scored a 2-0 win over P. Udaya Kumara/Nadee Lakmali De Silva combination to walk away with the Doubles Championship. Results: Singles – Men’s: L.S. Johanne de Silva beat Hansa Sandaruwan De Silva 2-1 (9/21, 21/13, 21/15); Women’s: Nihansa Medis beat Roshni Iresha Fernando 2-0 (21/18, 21/14) Doubles – Men’s: Omal Dharmawardene/Ravindu Ranatunga beat Isuru Dilshan/Kaveesha Muthukuda 2-0 (21/14, 21/12); Women’s: P.H.P.P. De Silva/Deveni Wickremasinghe beat Ayesha Maduranga/A.W. Uyanhewa 2-0 (21/8, 21/12) Mixed Doubles: H. Sandaruwan/Malithi Priyanka beat P. Udaya Kumara/D. Nadee Lakmali De Silva 2-0 (21/16, 21/16)