School kids continue to create upsets
Schoolboys and girls continued to create major upsets in the 47th Carrom National Championship 2015 worked off at the Carrom Federation 
Headquarters, Maharagama last weekend.
In the Women’s Singles pre-quarter-finals a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya, Kaushalya Vidanagama ranked No.14 defeated the No. 4 ranked Arosha Wickramasinghe in the third round 25/19, 18/24, 23/18 and also defeated Buddini Dias ranked No. 7 earlier 25/16, 25/20 to enter semi-finals.
Another schoolgirl from the same Pannipitiya school 17-year-old Detuni Nomaya ranked No. 6 defeated Rebecca Dalrene ranked No. 14 in the 3rd round 25/5, 12/19, 20/16 and went on to beat Sri Lanka No. 3 player R.A.D.M. Kanchanamala 16/25, 25/14, 25/8 to reach the semi-finals.
In the Mixed Doubles Finals event bottom seeds Chamil Cooray and R.A.D.M. Kanchanamala created the major upset when they beat top seeds W.D. Nishantha Fernando and Chalani Lakmali Liyanage in a three setter 6/25, 25/18 and 25/8 to emerge champs and earlier two schoolboys from Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa beat top seeded players in the Men’s Doubles event.
Match results of
last weekend:
Women’s Singles Quarter-finals: (1) Joseph Roshita (No.1) beat Sadini Nirasha (No.11) 25/14, 25/15; (2) Detuni Nomaya (No.6) beat Madushika Kanchanamala (No.3) 16/25, 25/14, 25/8; (3) Kaushalya Vidanagama (No.14) beat Buddini Dias (No.7) 25/16, 25/20; (4) Chalani Lakmali Liyanage (No.2) beat Maduwanthi Gunadasa (No. 
25/10, 25/6.
Line-up for the semi-finals will be: Joseph Roshita (No.1) vs. Detuni Nomaya (No.6) and Chalani Lakmali Liyanage (No.2) vs. Kaushalya Vidanagama (No.14)
Semi-finals and the finals of Women’s Singles will be played on February 7.
Mixed Doubles Semi-Finals: (1) Nishantha Fernando and Chalani Lakmali Liyanage beat R.A.W. Lahiru Eshan and Joseph Roshita 25/19, 17/25, 25/15; (2) Chamil Cooray and Madushika Kanchanamala beat Mohamed Shaheed and Rebecca Dalrene 25/9, 25/18.
Finals: Chamil Cooray and R.A.D.M. Kanchanamala beat W.D. Nishantha Fernando and Chalani Lakmali Fernando 6/25, 25/18, 25/8.
Men’s Singles event will be worked off this weekend to select the last 16 players who will meet the 16 Sri Lanka ranked players in the rankers event. – LR