Badminton: Young shuttlers on a mission in Kazan at World Junior Tournament

Sri Lanka will be represented by an eight member Girls and Boys team at the World Junior Badminton Tournament to be held in Kazan City, Russia from September 30 to October 13. 

Young Sri Lanka boys in action at the world event will be Lochana De Silva (Nalanda College, Colombo), Viren Netthasinghe (St. Peter’s College, Colombo), Chamath Dias and Thulity Palliyaguru (Richmond College, Galle). Charith Illiperuma of D.S. Senanayake College is stand-by. 

The girls team will be represented by Dilmi Dias of Our Lady of Victory, Dehiwala, Panchali Adhikari of Mahamaya GS, Kandy, Chamudi Abeywickrema of Nugegoda Anula Vidyalaya and Anuranghi Maskorala of Sutherland College, Galle while Visakhian Jananuwani Amanda will be the stand-by. 

Former national champion and Olympian Thilini Jayasinghe will accompany the team as coach while Secretary of the Sri Lanka Badminton Association Saman Jayasinghe will head the contingent as Manager while Malika Waduge will be the Lady Chaparon. 

This edition of the world event will be conducted in two segments. 

The Mixed event will be from September 30 to October 5 while the Singles and Doubles events will be worked off from October 7 to 13. 

Young Sri Lankan shuttlers are determine to put up a good show at this mega event and their performances will be closely watched as they will be the carriers of the national flag in the future. 

The team is hard at practice at the Badminton Sri Lanka headquarters closely watched by the coach and the selectors. 

This will be a good opportunity for the youngsters to rub shoulders with up and coming players from reputed countries. 

As the national championship both in men's and women's categories were dominated for long by single players, it is high time for the youngsters to show their prowess and lay a hand on the national silverware.