Senior National shuttle tourney begins

Dilanka Mannakkara

The 57th annual Senior National Championships which is the most important and prestigious Badminton tournament of the Badminton calendar year, got underway at the Royal College Sports Complex Colombo 7, yesterday.

All the National ranked shuttlers were seen in action in the first day and the favourites were through to the next round as there were no major upsets.

Men’s singles, Men’s doubles and women’s singles first round matches were played yesterday and the finals of the tournament will be on December 30. The tournament which is organized by the Sri Lanka Badminton Association would help the selectors to finalize the list of shuttlers that would take part in the South Asian Games next year.

In the men’s singles event, champion Niluka Karunarathne, Lasitha Menaka, Hasitha Chanaka, Nuwan Hettiarachchi, Dilshan Kkariyawasam, Eranga Fernando, Amila Yatapana, R.S Dahanayake, R.S Kasun, Nayanakantha Wijesekera, Dinuka Karunarathne, Harsha Anuradha, Udara Nnayanajith, H.S Perera and Diluka Karunarathne qualified for the pre-quarters.