National Shuttlers train in Bandarawela
The Sri Lankan national badminton team that took part in a fiveday residential training camp in Bandarawela, in lieu for the upcoming 2019 South Asian Games (SAG), is expected to return today.
Sri Lanka will field a 20-member team at the event which will take place in the Nepali capital and suburbs from December 1 – 10. The team includes eight men and women shuttlers as they look to pose a challenge to strong Indian team.
The team, coached by Indonesian Tony Wahyudi and Duminda Jayakodi, will be led by national champion Dinuka Karunaratne and former champion Achini Rathnasiri. The team will miss the services of Olympian and Sri Lanka’s top-ranked player Niluka Karunaratne, elder brother of Dinuka, due to an injury. Niluka’s absence will surely have an impact on the team’s hopes, but Dinuka, who defeated his elder brother to win the national championship, will go all out to cover his brother absence. The strong doubles combination of Buwaneka Goonethilake and Sachin Peiris are expected to repeat their performance at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, where they finished fourth.
Ranthushka Sasindu, Sri Lanka’s current standing 2nd seed is also in the team, along with Lochana De Silva, Maduka Dulanjana, Krishan Danushka, Thusith Palliyaguru, Chamath Dias and Hasitha Chanaka.
Joining Rathnasiri in the Women’s team will be national champion Thilini Hendahewa, Kavidi Sirimannage, Nadeesha Gayanthi, Upuli Weerasinghe, Kavindika de Silva, Hasara Wijeratne, Dilmi Dias, Anurangi Masakorala and Hasini Ambalangodage. Tilak Jayasiri will be the manager of the team. - SP