Umasha to represent Sri Lanka

Chinthana WASALA

Umasha Liyanage, the 13-year student from Maliyadeva Girls' College, Kurunegala has achieved the honour of representing Sri Lanka in the Asian Youth Chess Championship which will be held from July 08 to 15 in Beijing, China, Chess Olympiad Championship in Russia and the World Youth Chess Championships in Greece.

She started her career at the age of eight and excelled from the beginning. The year 2008 she emerged runner up in the girls' u-20 category at the all-island inter-schools super six championships at the age of 10.

In 2008, she was also the A-Division girls' u-14 All Island inter-schools runner-up, u-14 girls' National Youth Chess championship runner-up and the achieved the same in u-12 age group at the Colombo International Rating Chess Tournament. She was a member of the U-13 Sri Lanka team which won the first place at the Fifth Asian Schools Chess Championships in 2009 and was also the u-13 runner up.

Umasha was a member of the u-14 champion team at the All Island Inter-Schools/Clubs Team Championships conducted by the Queen Star Chess Academy and also won the first place in Board II. She was the National U-13 Rapid Chess champion in 2009 and also showed her high class performances at the Castles All Island Inter-Schools/Clubs Rapid Championships, and all-island schools games, All Island age group individual championships, Inter schools chess championships, Second National Blitz Championships and many others.

Last year, at the age of 12, she won the third place in the All Island Inter Schools Super six championships u-20 age category and she was ranked third among the women at the first Kandy International Rating Chess Championships 2010.

Umasha currently trains under coach Nuwan Liyanage and acknowledges his support as well as her parents and the school authorities including Principal Mrs. Wajira Kumarihami.