Sports

Ian Tait wins Men's gross division

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy sports correspondent

Englishman Ian Tait, (Men's Gross Division), 17-year-old Klaes Rasmussen (Men's Nett Division) Niloo Jayatillake (Ladies Division) stole the honours at the first round of the new Lectra Monthly Medal Golf Championship organised by the Victoria Golf and Country Resort and sponsored by Apparel Technologies agents for Lectra in Sri Lnaka and worked off at the picturesque Victoria Golf Course at Rajawella under excellent weather conditions.

Ian Tait playing to a handicap of 6, won the men's gross division with 75 strokes and finishing runner-up was Klaes Rasmussen with 81 strokes.

But the results were swapped in the Nett Championship for men when Klaes Rasmussen playing to a handicap of 15 took the maximum advantage with 66 strokes to push Ian Tait who had 69 strokes after deduction of the handicap into the second slot.

Also excelling in the men's gross division were cricketer Nimal Wettimuny (83 strokes) Tony Witham (87 strokes) Chamil Wickremesinghe (89 strokes), Errol Johnston (88 strokes), Priath Fernando (91 strokes), Veinert Holm (90 strokes), Sidath Hemachandra (88 strokes), Sampath Hemachandra (94 strokes). At least five golfers ran up centuries on a course which proved to be challenging and difficult.

In the Men's nett Division plucky performances were witnessed from Kandy Gateway Schoolboy Sidath Hemachandra (71 strokes), Veinert Holm (71 strokes), David Haynes (79 strokes), Sampath Hemachandra (79 strokes), Errol Johnston (78 strokes), Poul Rasmussen (76 strokes), Nimal Wettimuny (77 strokes) and Tony Witham (74 strokes).

Versatile Niloo Jayatillake came up with some stiff resistance before winning the Ladies Division with a score of 70 strokes closely followed by veteran Swuaneetha Selvaratnam with 72 strokes and Ina Rasmussen followed with 73 strokes and Manori Jayakoddy with 74 strokes which will give an indiction of the tense battle for supremacy which would have been witnessed among the ladies in the greens.

Also excelling in the ladies battle were Anne Anngood and Sanya Boyle with 77 strokes each and Roshni Sangani with 78 strokes giving a much improved performance.

The Junior Championship was a direct home and home fight and that too between the Hemachandra twins Sampath and Sidath.

Finally it was Sidath Hemachandra playing to a handicap of 17 with 79 strokes who got the better of his twin brother Sampath who played to a handicap of 15 and recorded a score of 71 strokes.

Director of Apparel Technologies Chula Ariyaratne addressing the gathering said that this championship had in May 2005 completed three years and it had grown with time and with a large number participating from Colombo and Nuwara Eliya.

They will be sponsoring this championship for yet another year. In order to help the low handicappers, there will be a gross championship for ladies as well. This should attract more low handicappers.