National caps Chamil Cooray and Madushika Kanchanamala emerged men and women’s champions respectively at the 24th Federation Cup Carrom championship concluded at Maharagama.
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| Chamil Cooray (right) and Madushika Kanchanamala (in action) paired up to annex the mixed doubles while earning major honours of the entire tournament. (Pic by Amila Prabodha) |
Cooray had little trouble to overcome D.N. Fernando by two straight sets to nil scoring 25-7 and 25-1 points comfortably to clinch the men’s singles title. The losing semi-finalists in the men’s singles played each other and Mohamed Sheriffdeen was victorious. He beat Voraj Fernando by two straight sets.
The women’s singles champion Kanchanamala however, was given a close fight by national player Roshita Joseph in the final. Joseph went down fighting by two sets to one but she played throughout the final displaying a gallant fight in the competition. Kanchanamala won the first and third sets by 25-16 and a narrow 25-23 respectively but Joseph claimed the second set with scores of 25 points 23.
Chalani Lakmali beat favourite Yashika Rahubaddha by two sets to one in the third place play-off.
Losing men’s single finalist Fernando paired up with B. Wickremasinghe to clinch the men’s doubles title beating Ajith Chandrasoma and Tharanga Kelum in the final.
In the women’s doubles Chalani Lakmali and Arosha Wickremasinghe beat Nethmi Umanga and Buddhini Dias by two sets to one.
Men’s and women’s singles champions, Cooray and Kanchanamala then paired up to compete in the mixed doubles and went on to beat D.N. Fernando and Yashika Rahubaddha by two sets to one. The veteran’s singles final was won by Upali Premachandra. He beat Upali Perera by 25-4 and 25-11 to seal both sets.
The 24th Federation Cup tournament was held during four weekends after a lapse of five months with a massive participation at the new headquarters of Sri Lanka Carrom Federation in the heart of Maharagama. Since the Federation Cup was the first to be held after several months the organisers received over 350 entrees including a record 115 for the women’s category. The next tournament of SLCF which is the 44th National Carrom Championship 2012 will commence from February 18.
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