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Jackie Dias captures Ladies Crown at Royal Colombo
The Champions of yesteryear still adorn the Ridgeways and the Royal Colombo Golf Club. Grandmother Superior Pam Fernando heads the list who despite some physical impediments still stays close to the Ladies Section with her astute knowledge of the game and its administration. Coming near in seniority is stylist Lilamani Weeraratne. A classy player in the early Sixties, she captured every title before her including the Club Title and the National Title.

She trots between U.K. and Cameron Place regularly and when she settles in Cameron Place she squeezes the time to support the Ladies and their section .She also walks the course in fun games. We than have 2 great “Duchess” Yvonne Abhayaratne and Suweneetha Selvaratnam. Champions of class more than once they stay close to the administration and move in firmly with enthusiasm when a coaching scheme is in progress. Radha Sunderampillai another pleasant senior is no champion but she relentlessly champions the cause of golf for the kids.

In recent years the Ladies Club Championship lacks luster. The champs have moved from the scene and very little class has been left behind. Those playing now are loaded with enthusiasm and they support like hell and with Anusha Senadhira as Captain this year she makes enthusiasm infectious. Jackie Dias is our star performer.

On Monday the 2005 title event of the Royal Colombo took off but not without irritating disregard for rules. Priorities and the privilege of supporting the Ladies. Reliable reports have it that the course was reserved for the Ladies from 7 a.m. on Monday with a rule prescribing that the course remains closed for play preceding 7 a.m. A Senior chap and his buddies (names suppressed for security reasons) totally disregarded this rule and took off in a fun round of golf preceding the Ladies Championship starting time causing much annoyance. “Inexcusable disgusting behaviour” is what a wag was heard to say describing the infringement. Unperturbed the forgiving Ladies got together and combined their good work to make this annual event a rousing success. Meticulously planned and superbly put together the event was another success in their Golfing Calendar.

This afternoon they took off the final round when Shayanika Fernando battled to hold the stampede that Jackie Dias moved into. “Mission impossible” is the least anybody could say as the dashing formidable. Dias girl pounced on every opportunity in her usually classy precise style to clinch victory and the R.C.G.C. Ladies Champion Crown. The toast of the evening was Jackie Dias.

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