10-year-old Sashank Perera launches badminton career in UAE
Former Sri Lanka badminton star Sriyani Deepika predicts a bright future for 10- year- old Sashank Perera who is studying at Sharjah English School in the UAE.
One of the students of Deepika Badminton Academy based in Dubai, Sashank is one of several Sri Lankan children wh o h ave come under the wing of Sriyani.
“Our academy comprises multinationals and there are a few Sri Lankans. Sashank has a promising future. He can reach a good level if he trains continuously,” said Deepika, who began the academy six years ago and has expanded to four venues.
Sashank hails from a sporting lineage with his grandmother Shirani Perera being a former Sri Lanka badminton player and also coached Sriyani Deepika.
A former national champion, Deepika is a much sought after and respected badminton coach in the UAE although she has not officially retired as a player.
Silver medallist at the 2017
Wo rl d M a s t e r s Games held in New Zealand last year, Deepika who won the last of her five national singles titles more than two decades a g o, also clinched a gold medal in the Women’s Singles Seniors 50+ division at the Las
Ve gas Wo rl d C h i n e s e Invitational Badminton Tournament in 2018.
“I never officially retired
from the sport keeping myself fit by playing in tournaments when I moved to the UAE in 2011 and also doing coaching,” said Deepika, who has been regularly playing in the Seniors circuit of the Badminton Wo rl d Federation from 2011 in Canada, Turkey, Sweden and India. Her next target is the World Masters Games in Kansai, Japan scheduled to be held this year.
Deepika Badminton Academy continued training even during the COVID-19 pandemic following the health guidelines laid down by the government of Dubai.
“Sport was encouraged with health precautions such as sanitizing, social distance and wearing of masks off court being maintained,” said Deepika, a Level 2 qualified BWF ( Badminton World Federation) coach and a technical official of the UAE Badminton Federation.