Shuttler stars of yesteryear show their class
The annual CMB Masters Badminton tournament got off to a promising start at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium courts yesterday with 125 matches being played by evening. Almost every former Sri Lankan shuttler was seen in action both men and women along with past stalwarts of the game in matches played in a friendly and cordial atmosphere and every player irrespective of their ages made the competition interesting as their body language showed that they young at heart.
The tournament was conducted under eight age groups and three combined age categories. The following have booked their quarter-final berths: Nihal Amarasena, Champika Periyapperuma (50+ Men’s Singles), W.P. Janath Rohan Fernando, Jayath Wickremasinghe, B. Ramesh Wannakuwatta, Senaka Wickremasinghe (55+ Men’s Singles), Nalin Fernando, Suranjan Ratwatta, Amila Kumara Yatapana (35+ Men’s Singles), Tuan Farook Samath, Gamini Jayawardene (60+ Men’s Singles), Upendra Jayawarden, Kanchana Ekanayake (45+ Men’s Singles), Subash Janaka, Duminda Jayakody, Alanzo Doll, Dinushka Nilushana Kitrhbewala (40+ Men’s Singles), Tyronne L. Peiris, Asanka Bandara Ratnayake (50+ Men’s Singles), W.M. Ariyasena, Louie Karunaratne (60+ Men’s Singles), Ajith Wijayasinghe, Sunil Galabodage (65+ Men’s Singles), Tuan Farook Samath/Tuan M. Samath, Mohan Wijesinghe/Niroshan Wijekoon, Louie Karunarathna/Mangala Gamage (110 Combined K. Suresh Thavarajah/Nandana Premachandra (120 Combined), Amila Kumara Yatapana/Hasitha Chanaka, Nihan Ranasinghe/Randika Peiris, Suranga Sujith Prasath/Mindika Chameera Walgamage, Sahan Pradeep Vithana/Sugath Thalwattegedera (35+ Men’s Doubles), Duminda Jayakody, Subash Janaka (45+ Men’s Singles), Clarence Homer/Nihal Amarasena, Aruna Krishantha/Wishwa Saparamadu, Manjula Fernando/W.P. Janath Rohan Fernando, Ruwan Chandratilleke/Senaka Attanayake (100 Combined), John Rohan Upali De Silva/Niroshan Wijekoon, K.A. Thilak Shanthi Perera/Liyana Lekamalage Chandrasena (120 Combined), A. Karunagaran/Tissa Hettiarachchi, K. Suresh Thavarajah/Nandana Premachandra (60+ Men’s Doubles), Hiruna Dissanayake/Samantha Jayawardene, Dinushana Kithbewala/Nishantha Jayawardene (40+ Men’s Doubles).
Galbodage (65+ Men’s Singles) and Nihal Amarasena (50+ Men’s Singles) qualified to play in the semi-finals. The tournament will be continued today at the same venue.