Sri Lanka lose to Pakistan

Chinthana Wasala Reporting From China

Sri Lanka lost to the defending champions of the Asian Beach Games, Pakistan (22-55) when the Beach Handball events took place at the Haiyang beach on Saturday. The power-packed Pakistanis who secured the beach handball crown at the second Asian Beach Games held in Iran, hung on to an early lead from the beginning and kept on going.

Pakistan were 29-10 at the end of first half and the Lankan, haven’t even had much of international exposure in the game. Pakistanis scored freely and showed that they are ready for a repeat performance.

Nirmal Pandigamage and Sanjeewa Koswatta were the goal scorers for Sri Lanka. In other beach handball matches held on Monday, Oman beat the hosts, China, Japan beat Chinese Taipei, Jordan beat Philippines, Bahrain beat Mongolia, Turkmenistan lost to Vietnam, Qatar beat Vietnam’s second team while the Independent Olympic Athletes beat India. The little known Southern Chinese town, Haiyang earned global recognition when the Third Asian Beach Games began on Saturday evening with a colourful opening ceremony which was attended by over 1600 artists who performed music, Martial Artists, native Yangko Dances and was finely crafted with smooth lighting and music and the latest technology. The 80 minute long ceremony showcased the local cultures and the spirit of national fitness to the world.

They did well to enter the Round of 16 in which the top 16 teams out of 47, representing 29 countries, met on the sand courts at the beautiful Haiyang Beach.

In the womens segment, Gnanasagari Gunasingha and Nirosha Lakmini lost to Chinese Taipei in the pre-quarter finals while Thakshila Nilanjalee and Geethika Gunawardena lost to Vietnam.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan men also did well on the sand court to move on to the pre-quarters but Pubudu Kumara and Nalin Peiris met Malaysia’s Kiew and Rafi in the first game of the Round of 16.