Mihiliya, a squash champ of int’l class

Anuradha Abeysekara

When Mihiliya was asked to take up to squash by her school coach Janaka Suwaris who observed her during badminton practices at the age of seven, she never thought that the squash will become her passion in life.

K. A. Mihiliya Methsarani of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo has just turned 13, but hails a profile decorated with local and international triumphs someone hardly believe a teen of this age is capable of achieving.

She was ranked Asian region’s number four under-15 player in the third Indian Junior Open Squash Championship this year. Mihiliya was awarded National Colours for participation in the 18th Asian Junior Individual and Team Squash Championships in the same year. In 2007, she became the runner- up in under-11 Special Plate in the Milo All Star International Junior Squash Tournament and placed eighth in the under -11 main draw at the same tournament in the following year. She became an under-15 Classic Plate semi-finalist in Milo tournament’s 2010 edition and reached Special Plate semi-finals in the same tournament this year.

Mihiliya was a Classic Plate quarter finalists in the third Asian Junior Individual Squash Tournament’s under-1 5 age category and received National Colours for her achievement.

She was awarded the Noel Fernando Challenge Trophy for the Most Improved and Best Performance of the Year (Girls) in the 2011 Squash Junior Nationals as she bagged a double crown, winning Girls under 17 and under 15 champion titles. Mihiliya maintained an unstilted record in the Junior Nationals tournament since 2006 adding seven Champion titles (2006/U-13, 2007/U-11, 2008/U-11, 2009/U-13, 2010/U-13, 2011/U-15 and U-17), two runner-up titles (2006/U-11, 2010/U-15) and a second runner-up shield (2008/U-13).

She also possessed a high profile in the All Island Inter Schools’ Squash Championship tournaments, starting from 2006. Mihiliya was crowned with six champion titles (2006/U-9, 2007/U-11, 2009/U-11 and U-13, 2010/U-13, 2011/U-15) and a runner up title (2008/U-13) through out the inter schools’ tournaments.

Mihiliya won the girls under-15 championship while becoming third in the under-19 event in the Sri Lanka Squash Federation Open Championship and won a double crown in the Janashakthi Open Championship (under-15 and under-19) this year. She is a seasoned winner in Air Force, Janashakthi, Otter and SSC Open Squash Championships over the years and also clinched victories in Gymkhana Open, Sunquick Open, Fingara Open, Royal Open Championships and James Finlay’s Juvenile squash championship.

Eventhough she has chosen squash as her main sport, she never quit her first sport, badminton and won many accolades to her alma mater, captaining school’s badminton team in several occasions. Badminton has been very supportive as a parallel game to squash in moulding Mihiliya’s basic skills.

Mihiliya is a grade nine student who also has keen interest on arts. She is a very studious and disciplined girl who has become an inspiration for many lasses in the school. She is the youngest in her family has an elder sister. Her farther works in the Police Department, is the bread winner of the family while mother being a housewife.

She trains squash under her private coach Yasmith Zarook while Chandana Mahesh being the school coach. Mihiliya has been mainly sponsored by ‘Dunlop’ and also supported with individual sponsorships from Amanda Weerasinghe and Kapila Gunasekara. She thanked her sponsors and assures that their help will never go in vain as she has already proved her talents locally and internationally. This talented squash player appreciated her family’s strong support throughout her career and said if not for them she will not be able to keep a balance between studies and sports. Mihiliya thanked her school Principal Chithra Kumari Kalubowila and teacher-in-charge for their guidance and protection.

‘I admire the playing style of local player Nirasha Guruge and she is my favorite squash player,’ said little Mihiliya.

‘My coach Zarook is working hard on improving my skills and I have experienced a great improvement under him. My short-term objective is to become National Champion in next year and my big dream is to make my country proud by winning a medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Though it seems to be a hard task I am confident of making my dream a reality as I have enough time for it,’ said little Mihiliya in a steady voice.

When considering Mihiliya’s list of triumphs as an under-13 player it is quite obvious her potential to become a great player in future. Her international exposure and local experience will play a vital role in making an international level squash champion.