Savinaka, Ranithma win singles titles

Summer Season All Island Badminton Championship

Young sensations Savinaka Weerasekara and Ranithma Liyanage clinched open men’s and women’s singles titles at the Summer Season All Island Badminton Championship at the Municipal Indoor Stadium Nuwara Eliya over the weekend.

The D.S. Senanayake College student, Savinaka Weerasekara overcame 16-year-old Royalist Aashinsa Herath, the top seed, in a thrilling three-setter (21-13, 17-21, 21-13) to win the title in the seven-day event.

In the women’s final the reigning national champion- 16-year-old student of Christ Church College Baddegama- Ranithma outclassed HasaraWijerathne in another three-setter (21-12, 18-21, 21-12) to clinch the open women’s crown. The popular tournament was conducted by the Central Province Badminton Association in collaboration with Sri Lanka Badminton Association.

In the women’s doubles final, Buthmi Galagamage partnered Nadeesha Gayanthi to overpower Rashmi Mudalige and Thiyaana Widanarachchi 21-19, 20-22, 21-17.

Lochana de Silva and Rashintha de Silva won the men’s doubles final when they defeated Oshamika Karunaratne and Thulith Palliyaguru 21-17, 22-20. The mixed doubles final was won by Thulith Palliyaguru and Buthmi Galagamage who overcame Chamath Dias and Nathasha Gunasekara 21-14, 21-15.

Sri Lanka Badminton Association President Rohan de Silva, Central Province Badminton Association (CPBA) President Mahinda Dodampagamage, Secretary CPBA Chamara Aluthge and Nuwara Eliya Mayor Chandana Lal Karunaratne were the special guests at the awards ceremony.