Shuttlers out to get foreign exposure

Chris DHAMBARAGE

The Sri Lanka badminton team will be looking to gain the maximum exposure when they compete in the Asian Badminton Confederation individual championships which will be worked off from April 7 to 12 at the Suwon indoor stadium in Korea.

The five member Sri Lanka team and the two officials left the island last night to participate in this annual tournament which carries a rich prize money of US Dollars 150,000.

However the Sri Lankan coach Kamal Gamalath said that this tournament will be of great significance for the players to get the maximum exposure ahead of the Sudhirman Cup team championships which will be held next month in China.

The former Sri Lanka national cap believes that the players will have a great opportunity to gain experience while competing against some of the World’s top ranking shuttlers.

In fact Sri Lanka’s number one ranked player Niluka Karunaratne will be up against the fourth seeded Bao Chinilai from China in his opening match of the qualifying round tournament. Even then Gamlath said that he has a lot of confidence on his players and hoped that Niluka Karunaratne will be able to produce a pleasing performance in the men’s singles event.

Niluka’s brother Dinuka however will face Nuryev Hadjimuhmment from Turkministan in his opening match of the men’s singles qualifying round tournament. The Sri Lanka team will also comprise of three women’s players Thilini Jayasinghe, Renu Chandrika de Silva and Achini Nimeshika Ratnasiri.

In fact coach Gamlath said that this tournament will be of great significance for fifteen year old Achini who has reached a high standard in the game within a short period of time.

Gamlath also stated that Thilini Jayasinghe and Chandrika de Silva are the two most experienced players in the Sri Lankan line up and hoped that they would come out with a good performance.

Jayasinghe had the honour of representing the country at the previous Olympic Games in China and Chandrika de Silva is the reigning national women’s champion having won several major title in the past.

Jayasinghe will take on Sorokina Veronika of Kazkhastan in her opening match of the women’s singles qualifying round tournament while Chandrika de Silva will meet Smimnova Anna of Uzbekistan in her opening encounter.

In addition Achini will confront Zelvyko Victoriya of Turkminsiatn in her opening match of the women’s singles tournament.

Meanwhile in the women’s qualifying round doubles semifinals the pair of Thilini Jayasinghe and Achini Nimeshika will meet the Chinese combination of Zang Jinkang and Wang Siyum.

In the men’s doubles qualifying round semifinals Niluka Karunaratne and Dinuka Karunaratne will play against Chen Zhiben and Li Tian from China while in the mixed doubles Niluka Karunaratne and Chandrika de Silva will take on Savatugia Oles and Sumirmova Anna from Uzbekistan.

In addition Dinuka Karunaratne and Thilini Jayasinghe will meet Shin Baek and Jang Ye Na of Korea in the same event.