Badminton: Masterclass at Ceylon Masters International 2018

In what was a classic display of high quality Badminton, the Ceylon Badminton Masters Association unfurled what is billed as the first ever Masters International competition in the country, the Ceylon Masters 2018 held at the Sugathadasa Stadium from last Monday to Wednesday last week. 

Starting on Monday (November 26), 278 participants from nine countries including a large Sri Lanka contingent of Senior Badminton players from all over the island converged on Colombo. 

The foreign players over 90 of them, from India, Malaysia, Macau, Nepal, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia, have been lavish with their praise for the organisation and hospitality of the host nation. 

They have also not been short of highly contested matches with many Sri Lankan players now listed on the international circuit displaying a very high standard of performance 

The Ceylon Masters Badminton Association and the Ceylon Masters 2018 Championship is the brainchild of two die-hard Badminton enthusiasts, Rohan de Silva and Clarence Homer. 

Rohan de Silva, of course is a well known entrepreneur and champion Motor Racing driver, who has now parked his formula cars to take on the mastery of the shuttle while Clarence has been a single minded Badminton promoter, having held the position of Secretary in the Sri Lanka Badminton Association. 

The conduct of CMB 2018 was assigned to Tournament Director, Ajith Wijayasinghe, a veteran BWF stalwart, whose meticulous detailing rubbed off well on the Tournament Referees, Sanjeewa Wijesekera and Samanthi Navarthna. 

An handpicked team took care of the Secretariat, the Logistics, the Event Design and Media Broadcasts as well as other perquisites. 

The Competition was grouped from the ages 35 and over to 70 and over for both men and women and run to an electronic draw and match schedule, ensuring timely completion of all events. 

On the penultimate day, Faizer Musthapha, the Minister of Sports, paid a visit to the arena to see for himself the organisation of the event while the finals was attended by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt. General Mahesh Senanayake, who gave away the awards and exchanged mementos with the founders of the event. 

Frits Mainaky of Indonesia was the cynosure of all eyes, teaming up with the ageless Rohan de Silva to collect several medals. 

Others, like former Sri Lanka National champions Niroshan Wijekoon and Duminda Jayakodi, displayed scintillating shuttle mastery while stalwarts Thanuja Liyanage, Hemantha Kodituwakku, Clarence Homer, Sampath Fernando, Nihal Amarsena, Rohan Fernando and Kamal Gamlath were outstanding. 

Among the visitors, Frits Mainaky, Arnold Dendeng, Muhamed, Yuan Minkang, Tan Tean How, Maran Thangavelu, Bin Abdullah, Budi Sugianto, Anthony Lourdes, Ramesh Bhattachan, Bhishnu Shrestra, Deepali Joshi, Aneesh Kannangayath, were a delight to watch. 

For the ladies, former Sri Lankan champs Chandrika de Silva and Sriyani Deepika were the local pick, while Sangeetha Rajagopal, Suzanne Venglet, and Jenny Goodwyn shone for the visitors. 

Of special note is the presence of the senior most players, Dr. Mrs. Premila Senanayake of Sri Lanka and Sahani Singh of India, who defied the passage of years to put on impressive displays of court craft. 

For the co-founders, the significance of this international event was that while it celebrated the stirling performance of senior players, the overall development of the game in Sri Lanka was a definite goal they would pursue. 

This is an ambitious game plan with the thought that an academy for young shuttlers who can be groomed to become world champs very much in the offing. 

That’s our dream, said the duo.