Mixed fortunes for Lankan shuttlers

BADMINTON: Sri Lanka experienced mixed fortunes on the opening day of the 10th South Asian Games badminton championships which began at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium yesterday.

Although Dinuka Karunaratne and his brother Diluka were knocked out of the quarterfinals of the Men's Singles event Sri Lanka's Renu Chandrika de Silva kept her hopes alive with a superb performance in the Women's Singles tournament.

The reigning national champion powered her way to score an impressive 21-14, 21-18 win over Sara Devi of Nepal in the quarterfinals. In contrast Sri Lanka's Nadeesha Gayanthi who was preferred ahead of Thilini Jayasinghe for the singles, failed to make an impact and was beaten by Sunema Shreshtra of Nepal in a three setter 21-17, 16-21, 21-19.

Earlier Sri Lanka's Diluka Karunaratne lost to Pakistan's Seshan Umar 21-9, 21-11 and Dinuka Karunaratne went down to Vaji Ali also from Pakistan 21-16, 16-21, 21-19. However in the Men's Doubles quarterfinals the Sri Lankan pair of Thushara Edirisinghe and Duminda Jayakody put up a pleasing performance to beat the combination of M. Jabeed and Mukthar Hossein of Bangladesh in straight sets 21-18, 21-13. But the pair of Niluka Karunaratne and Chameera Kumarapperuma were beaten at the hands of M. Atique and R. Azam of Pakistan 21-19, 21-18 in another Men's Doubles quarterfinal encounter.

(C.D)