Lanka squash team out to give a better display

SA GAMES: Only 15 days to go for the South Asian version of Olympics - the 10th South Asian Games, to be hosted by Sri Lanka. The eight-nation Games will be the biggest ever multi-sport event to be hosted by Sri Lanka. Through this countdown series, the 'Daily News' will have a closer look at the South Asian Games, its history, local preparations and our medal prospects.

Countdown to the South Asian Games with Dinesh Weerawansa

The Sri Lanka squash team is confident of putting up an improved performance at the 10th edition of the South Asian Games squash championships which will be worked off at the newly constructed Gymkhana Club squash courts in Maitland Crescent from August 18 to 25.

In fact this will be the first time that squash will be played at the new squash courts of the Gymkhana Club which has been redeveloped and upgraded to international standard.

The biggest advantage for Sri Lanka will be the services of two of their most experienced players Navin Samarasinghe and Saman Tillekeratne who are currently training overseas. The former is training in Australia under the guidance of Roger Flynn a World ranked squash coach while the latter has been training in France for the last couple of years.

Both Samarasinghe and Tillekeratne will carry Sri Lanka's hopes with the back up support coming from the rest of the players namely Anura Hewage and Eranga Alwis. The Sri Lanka women's team will comprise of Nirasha Guruge, Tehani Guruge, Vidushi Gurunada and Kushani Daluwatte.

The Sri Lanka squash team will also have the services of another reputed coach Jamshed Gul Khan from Pakistan who was a World number fourteen during his playing days.

The Sri Lanka men's and the women's team were selected following a series of trials by the national selectors comprising Navin Piyatissa, Tony Direcksz, Malaka Talwatte and Sanjeev Vairawanathan.

The Sri Lanka squash team will go into the South Asian Games with a lot of international experience behind them having performed extremely well at the recent Asian senior squash championships in Chinese Taipei, Commonwealth Games in Australia, Penang Junior championships, Malaysian junior open tournament and the Asian junior individual championships.

Sri Lanka bagged two bronze medals at the previous South Asian Games which were held in Islamabad, Pakistan in 2004.