Marambe clinches under 19 squash title

Manesha Marambe accounted for the under-19 'crown' as his school S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia emerged overall champions at the inter-school boys squash championships worked off at S. Thomas' sports complex, Mt. Lavinia recently.

Manesha Marambe, son of former Sri Lanka rugby star and ex-chairman of rugby selectors, Tikiri Marambe, led the Thomian challenge to push their traditional rivals Royal College to the second place in the championship.

He lost the second set of a crucial final but recovered quickly to register a good 9-4, 5-9, 9-1, 10-8 win over team mate Roshana Nanayakkara in the boys under-19 final. The champion won the third set in style before Nanayakkara threw a fresh challenge in the decisive fourth set. But Marambe Jnr faced the tense end intelligently to warp up the final.

Thomian captain Eranga Alwis emerged boys under-17 champion when he thrashed Chakranga Rajapakse of Royal College in a one-sided three setter 9-3, 9-4.

In one of the most interesting finals of the day, Thomian Gihan Suwaris survived an exciting five setter to edge out Binura Jayasuriya to emerge boys under-13 champion.

S. Thomas' won all important under-19, under-17 and under-13 titles and missed out only two junior titles which went to Royal and D. S. Senanayake MV. Despite emerging runners-up to S. Thomas' for the overall championship title, Royal managed to win just a solitary title.

Royal's only champion at the tournament was Kasun Weerasooriya who beat Thomian Yaseen Issedeen in the boys under-15 final. The other title missed out by Thomians, was boys under-11 final in which DSS MV's Jaliya Katugampola emerged champion.

(D.W.)