Keen tussle expected for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy
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The SLGU committee with sponsors and invitees at the event launch
Late Ms.Rukmini Kodagoda
The Sri Lanka Junior Match-Play Golf Championship will tee off on Monday at the Royal Colombo Golf Club. This year too and for the 6th consecutive year this prestigious junior event is being sponsored by P&S Bakers Limited the family company of the late Ms. Rukmini Kodagoda. The junior match play championship is held in honour of Rukmini Kodagoda, who won the Sri Lanka Amateur Women’s Championship in 1979 and several other club tournaments. Ruki as she was popularly known established herself as one of Sri Lanka’s talented sports women having won national titles and represented Sri Lanka in both tennis and golf. She also held the prestigious position of Chairperson Sri Lanka Ladies Golf Union in 1990 and 1991 and Captain of the Ladies Section of the Royal Colombo Golf Club. “This tournament is a fitting tribute to a lady of charismatic personality and an inspiring sportswoman who was national champion both in golf and tennis, a remarkable achievement,” said Niloo Jayatilake, member of Sri Lanka Golf Union and Chairperson of Junior Sub Committee.
This tournament will follow the lines of a match play format first introduced in the British Amateur Championship the oldest Match-play event in the world in 1881 and then followed by the Ceylon Amateur Golf Championship, the second oldest Match-play Championship in the world.
Junior golf in the country has developed rapidly over the years with the many junior development programmes initiated by Sri Lanka Golf. The current crop of juniors have many talented boys and girls amongst whom, many seem well set for future national representation. The inaugural Sri Lanka Junior Match Play Golf Championship was played in 2014 with Prashan Pieris winning the title. Unfortunately last year’s winner of the boys title Vinod Weerasinghe is unlikely to participate as he is currently undergoing training in the USA. However the girl’s winner Taniya Balasuriya will defend her title.
Players will compete in four Age Categories Comprising Gold Division (15 -18 years), Silver (12-14 years), Bronze Division (10-11 Years) and Copper Division (9 years and under).
The overall winner of the championship will carry away the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Trophy in the boys and girls categories. The tournament format will be based on a qualifying stroke play round for each age category, with the best eight qualifying scores going on to play in the match play knock out finals to determine the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Copper Division winners. However, girls in the Gold and Silver Division and the boys in the Gold Categories will be eligible to vie for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy and the Title of Junior Boys Champion and Junior Girls Champion respectively.
“P&S is delighted once again to support Sri Lanka Golf and especially junior golf by creating a competitive platform for the juniors to show their mark. Success in tournaments of this nature will be the stepping stone for international competition. Also we are happy to note that the qualifying medal round of the championship in all Age Categories, would be a designated round to accrue points for national junior ranking for the year 2019,” stated Gihan Perera, the CEO/Managing Director of P&S.