OKI excel in Badminton
View(s):OKI International Wattala a young school started to play badminton only in 2011 and has come a long way so far especially in the discipline of 
badminton. Having started to play the game with only about 20 students but upto the year 2014 they have achieved numerous accolades in in this shuttle sport.
Observing the satisfactory turnout at practices the Chief Executive of the school Nanayakkara contacted the Principal and the management staff and requested this game to be played in a broader way. At that point the school authorities decided to hire a full time coach and former Nalandian badminton player and a World Badminton Federation Professional Coach Mahesha Ekanayake was entrusted to the task in 2011. He was assisted by Vijith Hettiarachchi. Ekanayake started the job on the correct foot firstly by grooming the youngsters at root level and making them to be aware of the rules of the game, the technique and the fundamentals of playing.
Like a newly planted seed this badminton team started to grow day by day with buds popping up, this young school in less than one year turned out to be a huge one with healthy buds popping up with pride.
With the guidance from the coach and the support from the school management authorities OKI shuttlers stepped into schools competitive badminton in 2012. Competing at the their first appearance at the All Island Under 12 Badminton Team championship, to the amazement of 
everyone this new school from Wattala overcame many leading schools in the tourney and emerged first runner-up. With this auspicious start there was no stopping of the OKI shuttlers. They showed vast improvement monthly at every age group in schools badminton circles.
During the same year in the Gampaha District Under 11 Junior Nationals Janith Sandresh emerged champ and in the Under 11 boys singles Dulaksha Rajapaksha was the second runner-up while Ravichandran Aishwaryaa ended as second runner-up in the Girls Under 11 singles event.
They are now going with great force in the journey they started in 2012. They have proved that the OKI shuttlers are a force to be reckoned with in schools badminton.
Four OKI shuttlers Ravichandran Aishwaryaa, Manthuka Rupathunga, Rukshan Babu and Chavindru Dissanayake are bound to go a long way as badminton players with their fine play and are sure of donning the national blazer in years to come. -LR
Performances at-a-glance:
2012 – All Island Inter Schools Under 12 Badminton Team Championship ‘E’ Division – Runner-up
Junior Nationals U. 12 Gampaha District champ – Janith Sandesh
U.11 boys singles 3rd Place – Ravichandran Aishwaryaa
2013 – All Island Inter Schools Badminton Team Championship Boys ‘E’ Division – Champs
North Central Province Open Badminton Championship U. 13 Boys Singles Q.Finalists
2014 – 62nd National Championship conducted by SLBA Under 13 Girls Singles runner-up – Ravichandran Aishwaryaa
Under 11 boys singles Quarter-finalist – Manthuka Rupatunga
Junior National Championship: Boys Under 11 quarter-finalist – Manthuka Rupatunga
Uva Province All Island Open Badminon C’ship – U.15 Boys Doubles 2nd runner-up- Chavindu Dissanayake and Rukshan Babu
U. 11 Boys Singles Q.Finalist – Lithika Jayasinghe
Gampaha District Championship – Boys Under 15 singles – Champ: Rukshan Babu
Doubles Champs: Rukshan Babu and Chavindu Dissanayake
Central Province Badminton Championship – Under 11 Boys Singles: Q. finalist Manthika Rupathunga
Under 13 Girls Singles: q. finalist Ravishiya Jayaweera
All Island Under 16 Inter School Championship: OKI emerged Champions
U. 13 Girls Singles – Q. Finalist Ravishiya Jayaweera
All Island Inter Schhools Under 15 Doubles Team Championship ‘C’ Division second runner-up.