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by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent

National champion Niluka Karunaratne and Mahamaya College schoolgirl Thilini Jayasinghe carried away the major honours at the annual North Western Province Open Badminton Championship organised by the North Western Province Badminton Association and worked off at the Indoor Badminton Stadium, Kurunegala.

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Johnston Fernando was the Chief Guest and he distributed the awards.

Niluka Karunaratne first won the men's singles by beating N. J. John in the finals in two straight sets of 15/2 and 15/10. In the semi-finals he overcame K. K. Hemantha by 17/14, 17/14.

In the earlier matches he had no difficulty in defeating M. D. Wijetillake 15/1, 15/2. He completed a double partnered by C. Kumarapperuma, he beat the duo of S. Aponso and H. Anuradha 15/5, 15/2 quite easily in the finals. In the semi-finals they beat N. J. John and P. G. Sylvester 15/5, 15/5.

Mahamaya School girl Thilini Jayasinghe became the ladies singles champion when she beat P. Bambarandage without raising much sweat in the finals 11/2, 11/1 a match which turned out to be one sided. In fact Thilini Jayasinghe (one of the promising shuttlers in the island behind only national champion Chandrika de Silva) displayed excellent court craft in vanquishing her opponents.

Getting a bye in the pre quarter finals, she had no difficulty in getting the better of E. Bambarandage 11/3, 11/5 in the quarter finals.

But her toughest match was in the semi-finals, when she was given some anxious moments by H. Silva. Thilini Jayasinghe won the first set 11/8 but her opponent reversed the result to equalise in the next set 7/11.

But she survived in the next set to emerge winner 11/3 thus underlying her supremacy.

C. Kumarapperuma also completed a double when partnered by C. De Silva won the Mixed Doubles beating S. Aponso and P. Bambarandage 15/13, and 15/0. In the semi-finals this pair received a walk over. In the other semi-finals S. Aponso and P. Bambarandage beat Thilini Jayasinghe and Pradeep Welagedera in quite an exciting match 17/12, 17/14.

Chandrika de Silva, the national champion also performed the double by winning the ladies doubles partnered by H. Silva. But they were given a tough time in the finals by Thilini Jayasinghe and P. Bambarandage who stretched them to 15/10, 3/15, 15/10 before going down gallantly. In the semi-finals the champions beat I. Samarakoon and E. Bambarandage 15/2, 15/2, while Thilini Jayasinghe and P. Bambarandage beat W. Raymond and Shivona Alexander 15/9, 15/13.

P. Bambarandage won the girls under 17 title beating Shivona Alexander 13/10, 11/6 in the finals. In the semi-finals she beat Uma Perera 11/8, 11/7. In the other semi-finals Shivona Alexander beat S. Thanuja 11/9, 11/4.

The boys under 17 singles was won by K. Jayawardena who beat E. N. Jayawardena 9/15, 15/13, 15/10 in the finals. In the semi-finals he beat K. N. S. Kumara 15/5, 15/1. In the second semi-finals E. N. Fernando beat Yehan Ranasinghe 15/2, 15/0. The results of the finals:

Boys under 17 singles: K. Jayawardena beat E. N. Fernando 9/15, 15/13 and 15/10.

Girls Under 17 Singles: P. Bambarandage beat Shivona Alexander 13/10, 11/6.

Men's Singles: Niluka Karunaratne beat N. J. John 15/2, 15/10.

Ladies Singles: Thilini Jayasinghe beat P. Bambarandage 11/2, 11/1.

Men's Doubles: Niluka Karunaratne and C. Kumarapperuma beat S. Aponso and H. Anuradha 15/5, 15/2.

Ladies Doubles: Chandrika de Silva and H. Silva beat P. Bambarandage and Thilini Jayasinghe 15/10, 3/15, 15/10.

Mixed Doubles: C. Kumarapperuma and Chandrika de Silva beat S. Aponso and P. Bambarandage 15/13, 15/0.

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