Druvinka and Sameera crowned Junior National Squash Champions
Druvinka Perera of Royal College and Sameera Deen of Holy Family Convent were crowned the Junior National Squash champions in the Boys and Girls categories at the 30th Ritzbury Junior National Squash Championship 2019 concluded at the Sri Lanka Air Force Squash Complex last Wednesday.
Over 400 competitors took part in this mega event which was organized by the Sri Lanka Squash to coincide with the World Squash Day on October 12.
In the Under 19 Boys’ finals Druvinka Perera registered a 3-1 victory over Methmal Wood to win the title for the second year in succession. In the Girls’ finals of the same age group Sameera Deen defeated Chanithma Sinaly to win the Girls crown.
The Boys finals got off with Perera and Wood exhibiting some well placed drives off the front and back hands. Perera always playing a cool and a heady game reading the opponent’s movements on his returns. The first set came to an end with Perera in the lead 11-7.
The same pattern of play was witnessed in the second set with both players matched each other in defence and attack. Druvinka Perera led the second set 11-6. But the third set took a dramatic turn when Methmal Wood making the defending champion sweat for his points. On the other hand Perera a cool headed player tried his best to match Wood, but went down to a 3-11 defeat.
Firing in all his cylinders Perera finished his mission to win the Junior National title with an easy 11-4 win in the 4th set to win the match 3-1.
Sameera Deen defeated Chanithma Sinaly 3-1 to win the Girls Under 19 National championship 2019. She started off confidently from the start and went Boys
Under-9: M.S. Dassanayake Under-11: M.B.B. Nanayakkara Under-13: B.P.D. Nilantha Under-15: A. Athhapaththu Under-17: M.F.F. Asman
Girls:
Under-9: T. Liyanage Under-11: N.A. Dias Under-13: R.I. Wood Under-15: V.S.C. Sinaly Under-17: Y. Kuruppu
to register a 11-5 win in the first set. Sinaly with well placed shots gave a stiff time for her opponent to go down fighting till Deen used her experience to win the second set with a thin margin of 11-9.
It was Sinaly who dominated the third set with a suberb 11-5 win to come back to the game. She maintained her touch in the final set too as the game stood 10 all at one stage. While Sinaly making a desperate attempt to gain a two point lead Deen with a well controlled attack gained the much needed two point lead to register a close 12-10 win to walk away as the Under 19 Junior National Squash champ of 2019.
Anargi Perera of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo and D.H.T. Randina of Nalanda College, Colombo were adjudged the Most Promising Players 2019 in the Girls and Boys categories respectively.
– Lakshman Ranasinghe/ Pix Priyantha Wickramaarachchi