Mihiliya Methsarani (Women) Ravindu Laksiri (Men) are Champs
Mihiliya Methsarani and Ravindu Laksiri maintained their reputations as Sri Lanka’s No.1 Squash players when they won the Women’s and Men’s Open Singles respectively, at the2017 Premadasa Open Squash Championship concluded at the Sugathadasa Squash Courts yesterday.
In the Women’s finals, Squash sensation Methsarani inflicted a 3-0 sweep of No.2 Fathoum Issadeen, despite Issadeen taking a 4-2 lead at the start of the 1st match, which Mihiliya made 7-7, and then used her experience to surge ahead and win it 11-7. In the 2nd game too, Issadeen took a 2-0 lead before Methsarani fought back to lead 10-9 and finished off the game in a close 11-9 win. The 3rd match saw Methsarani coast to a 11-5 victory, to clinch the Women’s Open championship.
Speaking to the Sunday Times Methsarani said she is happy about the victory. Her next target is to gain membership of the Professional Squash Association and compete in international events, to aspire for world rankings.
Sri Lanka’s Men’s No.1 Ravindu Laksiri swept to a 3-0 win over No.2 Shamil Wakeel to clinch the Men’s Open Singles title. In the 1st game, Laksiri took time to settle and won 11-6. In the 2nd match, Laksiri strode to a 11-1 victory, while the 3rd was no less easy, as he won 11-5, to walk away with the Open Men’s title.
“As 4 times National winner and 3 times Junior Champion, I am delighted to start 2017 with a win. My next aim is to find a place within the top 8 ranked players at the forthcoming Asian Games” said Laksiri after the victory.
Methsarani and Laksiri received Rs 100,000 each as winners, while Runners-up Izzadeen and Wakeel received Rs 50,000 each, along with their trophies. Other age group winners received a branded Squash racquet each worth Rs. 15,000 and trophies.
The Sri Lanka Squash (SLS) Secretary, in his speech, said 2 Squash courts are leased at the Sugathadasa Stadium to be refurbished to international standards. Four local tournaments will be staged and one international tournament in Jordan is on the SLS calendar this year. He went on to say that SLS will be implementing an islandwide Squash Development Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports, in June. Kandy, Jaffna and Galle were earmarked for the Phase 1 of the programme.