Eshan and Himahansika bring curtains down with titles in their bags
Lahiru Eshan and Tharushi Himahansika emerged champions in the Men’s and Women’s singles and signalled the conclusion of the Mid Year Novices Carrom Championship 2015, organised and conducted by the Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka, worked off at the Federation Headquarters last Sunday.
In a tournament where schoolboys and girls stole the limelight and the experience they gained competing with the seniors will be a big boost for the youngsters when it comes to national ranking competitions.
Ishan Kannangara booked his berth in the finals after facing stiff resistance from Pramedha Mendis where he scored a hard fought win in the semi-finals. After losing the first set by a point, Pramedha came out with a resounding victory in the second set to beat the champ 25/1. But in the deciding third set Mendis failed to capitalise as Kannangara pulled out every trick out of his bag to defeat the opponent 25/17. In the final Lahiru Eshan didn’t find things difficult in defeating Kannangara 25/19, 25/20 to win the 2015 championship.
The Women’s first semi-final saw Anulian Minsadi Laknara registering a hard fought win over Joseph Dilka 2-1 and in the second semi-final Tharushi Himansika defeated Sashika Sandamali 2-0 to meet Laknara in the finals.
It turned out to be a ‘Battle of Nugegoda’ in the Women’s final where Tharushi Himansika locked horns with Minsadi Laknara. Anulian Laknara bounced back to the game after going down tamely in the first set to score a 25/15 win in the second set and as in the Men’s Finals Laknara lost her way in the middle of the all important third game to surrender the Women’s crown to Tharushi Himahansika from Nugegoda Mahamaya Girls School.
Results:
Men’s Singles
Semi-finals: (1) Ishan Kannangara beat Pramedha Mendis 25/24, 01/25, 25/17; (2) Lahiru Eshan bt Shanaka Nadeesha 25/15, 25/14.
Final: Lahiru Eshan beat Ishan Kannangara 25/19, 25/20
Women’s Singles:
Quarter-finals: (1) Minsadi Laknara beat Tharushika Chamodi 25/24; (2) Joseph Dilka beat Nimanthika Sanjeewani 25/12; (3) Tharushi Himahansika beat Maduka Dilshani 25/17; (4) Sashika Sandamali beat Shalini Uttara 17/12.
Semi-finals: (1) Minsadi Laknara beat Joseph Dilka 23/25, 25/21, 25/16; (2) Tharushi Himahansika beat Sashika Sandamali 25/24, 25/05.
Final: Tharushi Himahansika beat Minsadi Laknara 25/04, 15/25, 25/15.