NSSF completes successful Youth and Junior meet
View(s):National Shooting Sport Federation of Sri Lanka (NSSF) conducted the first major event at the newly built 10-lane National Shooting Range in Kohuwela with the successfully held NSSF Youth and Junior Air Rifle and Air Pistol Championship 2022. Held over five days, over 100 participants competed under eight categories — 10m Air Pistol Women, 10m Air Pistol Men, 10m Air Rifle Women, 10m Air Rifle Youth, 10m Air Pistol Women, 10m Air Pistol Men, 10m Air Rifle Men and 10m Air Rifle Women.
Seja Dasanayaka of Siyane Rifle Shooting Club (SRSC) emerged the winner of Youth 10m Air Pistol Women on a better 10x score, after levelling the total score at 534 points with her team mate Kavindi Herath, who was below par. Maheshi Kasthuriarachchi of Sri Lanka Schools Shooting Sport Association (SLSSSA) was placed third with a total of 532 points after six rounds.
V.A.D.M. Samarathunga of SLSSSA tied with his team mate R.A. Jayarathne on 522 points, but emerged the winner of Youth 10m Air Pistol Men event with a better 10x record. Jayaratne had to settle in at second place while handing a clean sweep for SLSSSA S.N.B. Kottegoda was placed third with 491 points.
Neja Dasanayaka of SRSC had a comfortable run scoring above 100 in each of the six rounds, to end up with 613.5 points in total to win the Youth 10m Air Rifle Women event. Dhanara Weerasinghe of SLSSSA finished at second with 587.7 points, closely followed by Hasunika Amarasinghe of Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo at third place with 585.6 points.
SLSSSA enjoyed another clean sweep after P.H.R. Suraweera bagged the Youth 10m Air Rifle Men event with a total of 603.7 points. Randhir Senaratne scored 600.1 points in total to finish at second while S.B.M.H.K. Bandaranayaka followed in at third place with 598.3 points.
SLSSSA’s third clean sweep came in the Junior 10m Air Pistol Women event as Nehasha Weerasinghe totalled with 536 points to claim the win. Thisangi Geethma was placed second with 532 points while Natasha Hendalage collected 526 points to finish at third.
The Schools shooters had their fourth whitewash after claiming the top three places of the Junior 10m Air Pistol Men event. L.L.B. Wijayaratna was placed with 556 points, followed by Atheeq Ur Rahman and C.M.V. Abeynayake, who finished off with 546 points apiece. But with a better 10x record Rahman won the second position.
D.P.A.C. Senadeera of SLSSSA completed with 608.1 points to win the Junior 10m Air Rifle Women event as her team mate Anjani Daluwatta finished at second position with 599.5 points. Dilsara Hangilipola of Cambrians Shooting Sport Club finished at third with 586.9 points.
W.D.T. Weerapana of Army Small Arms Association (ASAA) claimed the win of the Junior 10m Air Rifle Men event with 583.1 points, followed by SLSSSA shooters P.K.S.V. Pasqual and Enuka Thotawatta who finished at second and third with 572.8 and 547.7 points each.
The NSSF conducted a competition earlier this year at the Kohuwela Shooting Range, which then had four lanes with electronic targets. But this was the first occasion when the national body for shooting sport conducts a mega competition on their newly constructed shooting range, which consists of 10 lanes.
“The opening tournament was the ideal launching ceremony to the new range, for many reasons. Firstly, the youth and junior segments are the future of any sport. And to get them competing in this new facility will be the ideal exposure for these youngsters, who have the potential of representing the country,” elaborated Pradeep Edirisinghe, the Secretary of NSSF.
The Youth category was for shooters below the age of 18, who contested under Air Rifle and Air Pistol in Men and Women segments.
The Junior category was for shooters between the ages of 18 and 21, who also competed under Air Rifle and Air Pistol in Men and Women segments.
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10m Air Pistol Women Seja Dasanayaka (SRSC) 534 (9x) Siyane Kavindi Maheshitka Herath (SRSC) 534 (8x) Maheshi Kasthuriarachchi (SLSSSA) (2x) 10m Air Pistol Men V.A.D.M. Samaratunga (SLSSSA) 522 (7x) R.A. Jayaratne (SLSSSA) 522 (5x) S.N.B. Kottegoda (SLSSSA) 491 10m Air Rifle Women Neja Dasanayaka (SRSC) 613.5 Dhanara Weerasinghe (SLSSSA) 587.7 Hasunika Amarasinghe (CTSC) 585.6 10m Air Rifle Men P.H.R. Suraweera (SLSSSA) 603.7 Randhir Senaratne (SLSSSA) 600.1 S.B.M.H.K. Bandaranayaka (SLSSSA) 598.3 Junior 10m Air Pistol Women Nehasha Weerasinghe (SLSSSA) 536 Thisangi Geethma (SLSSSA) 532 Natasha Hendalage (SLSSSA) 526 10m Air Pistol Men L.L.B. Wijayaratne (SLSSSA) 556 (10x) Atheeq Ur Rahman (SLSSSA) 546 (11x) C.M.V. Abeynayake (SLSSSA) 546 (5x) 10m Air Rifle Women D.P.A.C. Senadeera (SLSSSA) 608.1 Anjani Meumi Daluwatta (SLSSSA) 599.5 Dilsara Hangilopola (CSSC) 586.9 Cambrian 10m Air Rifle Men W.D.T. Weerapana (ASAA) 583.1 Army Small Arms Asso P.K.S.V. Pasqual (SLSSSA) 572.8 Enuka Thotawatta (SLSSSA) 547.7 | |