Youngsters impress as Sri Lanka bag 11 international medals in 2024
Sri Lanka won two gold, three silver and six bronze medals at eight international events in 2024. But the climax of the untiring efforts of SLB came with the end-result of Viren Nettasinghe earning direct qualification for the Paris Olympics, thus becoming the youngest ever Sri Lankan athlete and shuttler to achieve such a remarkable feat at the age of 20.
Hasara Wijerathne and Hasini Ambalangodage
Viren with his gold medal from the Bangladesh tournament
Sri Lanka’s two gold medals came through the remarkable performances of the country’s top ranked Men’s Singles player Viren and Women’s Doubles pair Hasini Ambalangodage and Hasara Wijeratne. The St. Peter’s College star shuttler, Viren’s gold medal came at the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge concluded in Paltan, Dhaka on December 21. Hasini, a former student of Visakha Vidyalaya and Hasara, an alumni of Vidura College, achieved the rare honour of clinching Sri Lanka’s second gold medal, and the only in Women’s Doubles in 2024, during their series tour in Africa.
The Sri Lanka pair claimed the gold medal of the Botswana International 2024 that concluded on November 24, after winning the silver medal at the Zambia International Badminton Tournament on November 17. They concluded the three-series tour with another silver medal at the South Africa International Tournament in Cape Town on December 1, completing the three competitions with a gold and two silver medals.
Sri Lanka’s third silver medal in 2024 was added by Women’s Singles player Ranithma Liyanage of Christ Church College, Baddegama, who narrowly lost the final of the Bahrain International Series 1 that ended on November 17. A week later Ranithma had to be contended with the bronze medal at the Bahrain International Series 2, making her a prominent shuttler with medal prospects in 2025.
Isuri Attanayake and Sithumi de Silva clinched the bronze medal after reaching the Women’s Singles semi-finals of the Bahrain International Series 1, as Sri Lanka finished with four medals after Siyath Senaratne and Dinura Rashmika Priyankara won the Men’s Doubles bronze medal of the Bahrain International Series 2.
Women’s Singles player Rashmi Mudalige of Gateway College and Men’s Singles player Aashinsa Herath of Royal College were promising, but failed to progress beyond the quarter-final stage as the young shuttlers are pinned as international medal prospects in the upcoming season. Isuri and Sithumi accounted for a bronze medal in Women’s Doubles at the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge held in Dhaka, where Viren handed Sri Lanka a gold medal.
Ranithma Liyanage
Earlier during the early phase of 2024, Sri Lanka was honoured with a bronze medal by Viren Nettasinghe, who was progressing towards achieving qualification standards to reach the final 32 of Paris Olympics. Viren’s bronze medal came at the 32nd Iran Fajr International Challenge 2024, held in Yazd, Iran from January 29 to February 4.
Sri Lanka Badminton made remarkable progress by hosting two BWF (Badminton World Federation) accredited international competitions during February, with the Li Ning Sri Lanka International Challenge 2024 from February 5 to 11, followed by the Li Ning Sri Lanka International Series 2024 from February 13 to 18. Both competitions were held in Galle, at the Dadella International Indoor Complex, offering over 200 shuttlers from 14 countries the opportunity to experience Sri Lanka’s attractive locations such as beaches and nature.
However, the dual international series were fully dominated by prominent competitors from leading badminton-playing nations, while Sri Lanka’s sole bronze medal came from Men’s Singles player Dumindu Abeywickrama, a past student of Royal College.
In addition SLB conducted a series of development projects targeting match officials through its Coaching and Development Committee with the intention of producing quality and well qualified coaches in Sri Lanka. SLB’s most successful programme was the formation of District Pools where promising junior shuttlers were drafted into each district squad covering the entire nation. Through this programme thousands of youngsters joined the current population of over 9000 badminton players in Sri Lanka.
The brainchild of Rohan de Silva, the President of SLB, the programme kicked off in early 2024 and made steady progress through the involvement of the Regional Development Committee (RDC) headed by Roshan Gunawardena, also the Vice President of SLB, Ajith Weerasinghe, Honorary Secretary of SLB, Mangala Gamage, Honorary Treasurer of SLB,. Buddhika de Silva, Vice President of SLB, who continued the project covering all districts of the country.