Lankan slicers off for the World Cup defence
The national Carrom team will leave for the Maldives on September 12 to take part in the 4th World Cup carrom championship to be worked-off at the Sun Island Resort.
Sri Lankan squad - Pic by Anuradha Bandara
The Maldives Carrom Association will be organising and hosting this year’s tournament in which sixteen countries scheduled to take part. Sri Lanka ranked second in the World Rankings after their fine performances at the 2008 and 2012 world championships.
In 2012 Sri Lanka slicers kept the Lion Flag flying high when Nishantha Fernando won the Men’s Singles championship and partnering Chamil Cooray became runners-up in the doubles event. This tournament was hosted by the Sri Lanka Carrom Federation and played at the Galadari Hotel and in the world championships held in France in 2008 Sri Lanka won the team championship.
Sri Lanka slicers are in full confidence and are making every effort to win the World Cup as all of them are in good touch after the recently concluded tournaments. This year too much is expected from Nishantha Fernando and Chamil Cooray for a repeated performance in single and doubles events. Mohommad Shaheed and M.T.M. Hilmy are players who can create upsets and while in the women’s events the team led by Joseph Roshitha is making every effort to overcome stiff opposition especially from India and to be in recognition.
In five days of duration the tournament events that are scheduled to be worked-off are men’s and women’s singles and doubles with a team event and a Swiss League Tournament where both men and women of all countries will be competing with each other.
This will be played in one day and is organised to give all European countries to participate in more matches without being eliminated in the preliminary rounds of other events.
| Sri Lanka squad: (Men) Chamil Cooray (Capt), Nishantha Fernando, Mohommad Shaheed and M.T.M. Hilmy. (Women) Joseph Roshitha (Capt), Chalani Lakmali, Madushika Kanchanamala and Arosha Wickramasinghe. Officials: Rohini Mathiasz (Manager), Langly Mathiasz (Coach) and Nandana Gunatillake (Chief-de-Mission) |