Goonethilleke clinches triple titles; Liyanage claims Women’s crown
All winners in the Open category
Buwaneka Goonethilleke emerged victorious in the 71st National Badminton Championship organised by the Sri Lanka Badminton Institute, securing not one, but three coveted titles. Goonathillake showcased his exceptional skills at the Mercantile Indoor Badminton Stadium, as the 71st Badminton Nationals culminated with an electrifying finale.
Goonethilleke dominated the Men’s Open Singles final, overpowering Viren Nettasinghe with a dominant scoreline of 21-16 and 21-7. The intensity continued in the Open Mixed Doubles final, where Goonethilleke partnered with Natasha Gunasekara to triumph over the duo of Madhuka Dulanjana and Butmi Galagama, securing victory with scores of 21-13, 15-21, and 21-18. In the Open Men’s Doubles final, Goonethilleke joined forces with Nettasinghe to defeat Lahiru Weerasinghe and Madhuka Dulanjana with a scoreline of 21-15 and 23-21.
Meanwhile, the Open Women’s Singles final finished off with Ranitma Liyanage claiming the national title by defeating Warangana Jayawardene with a commanding show, sealing the victory 21-10, 21-6. Adding to the excitement, Jananuwani Amanda de Alwis and Hasara Wijerathne clinched the Open Women’s Doubles title. The duo secured their victory by defeating Dilini Ambalangodage and Ranumi Manage with scores of 15-21, 21-9, and 21-18.
The presentation ceremony was graced by the presence of esteemed officials, including K. Mahesan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Dr. Shemal Fernando, the Sports Director General, Rohan de Silva, President of
Sri Lanka Badminton, Atula Wijewardena, the President of School Badminton Association and Prabhath Indika, the Assistant Director of Ministry of Education.