Sports
Lochana, Ranithma clinch WPBA Open singles titles
Lochana Oshan de Silva and Ranithma Thinudi clinched the open men’s and women’s singles titles respectively at the Western Province Badminton Association (QPBA) All-Island Open Badminton championships which came to a conclusion at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on Friday.
In the men’s singles final, Lochana emerged victorious against Sethum Sithmaka Perera, clinching the match 21-13, 14-21, 21-17.
Ranithma dominated the women’s singles, defeating Vidara Suhasni Vidanage with a convincing 21-8, 21-16 victory. Ranithma also shone in the women’s doubles alongside Praveena Wijesundara, overcoming Rashmi Bhagya and Varangana Himsarani Jayawardena in a tense match that ended 19-21, 21-16, 21-18.
The men’s doubles title was secured by Prince Dahal and Chamath Dias, who fought back from a first-game deficit to win 13-21, 21-18, 21-18 against Buwaneka Tharindu Goonethilleka and Jason Homer.
The mixed doubles event was equally competitive, with Marcello Vittorio Mainaky and Ranumi Suhasnie Manage edging out Thulith Palliyaguru and Varangana Himsarani Jayawardena 21-17, 14-21, 21-19 in a nail-biting finish.
The championships, held under the auspices of Sri Lanka Badminton, was rated as a Level 1 ranking tournament and saw top shuttlers from all around the country in action.
Winners received a combined cash reward of Rs. 750,000 in addition to medals and certificates.
Champions
Here are the winners listed in the desired format:
Men’s Singles: Lochana Oshan De Silva
Women’s Singles: Ranithma Thinudi
Men’s Doubles: Prince Dahal / Chamath Dias
Women’s Doubles: Ranithma Thinudi / Praveena Wijesundara
Men’s Plate: Thejana Samuditha Herath
Mixed Doubles: Marcello Vittorio Mainaky / Ranumi Suhasnie Manage
Men’s Singles 30: Dushan Fernando
Women’s Singles 30: Nadeesha Gayanthi
Men’s Singles 35: Roshan Padma Kumara
Men’s Singles 40: Lasantha Thilakawardana
Women’s Singles 40: Manjula Sandamali Senanayake
Men’s Singles 45: Demuni Daminda De Silva
Men’s Singles 50: Duminda Jayakody
Women’s Singles 50: Vipuli Ashanthi Senevirathne
Men’s Singles 55: Samson Jayasundara Perera
Men’s Singles 60: Rohan Fernando
Men’s Singles 65: Gamini Jayawardena
Men’s Singles 70: Arsh Marakkala Wimalarathne
Men’s Doubles 110+: Lalith Nihal Amarasena / Darshana Senarathna
Men’s Doubles 30: Tharindu Rajith Siriwardhana / Sachitra Widanagamage
Men’s Doubles 35: Roshan Padma Kumara / Anushaka Lakshan Silva
Men’s Doubles 40: Thanuja Nandika Liyanage / Pandula Nihan Ranasinghe
Men’s Doubles 45: Dinushka Nilushana Kithbewla / Sahan Pradeep
Men’s Doubles 50: Duminda Jayakody / Duminda De Silva Somanayake
Men’s Doubles 55: Lalith Nihal Amarasena / Darshana Senarathna
Men’s Doubles 60: Gregory Rohan Fernando / Susantha Perera
Women’s Doubles 110+: Rasika Dahanayake / Sumithra Dissanayaka
Women’s Doubles 30: Ruvini Chathurika Rathnasiri / Himashi Sasinka
Women’s Doubles 40: Priyanka Abeyratne / Vipuli Ashanthi Senevirathne
Women’s Doubles 50: Thushari Rosberry Brahmanage / Enoka Jayalath
Boys’ Singles U11: Hansaka Rashminda
Girls’ Singles U11: Ishma Ishak
Boys’ Singles U13: Prithish Yasasa Abeysiri Gunawardana
Girls’ Singles U13: Limandi Gajali Padma Bandara
Boys’ Singles U15: Thamindu Visanka Silva
Girls’ Singles U15: Benuri Jananga Vipulaguna
Boys’ Singles U17: Keneth Aruggoda
Girls’ Singles U17: Dulanya Livera Karunarathna
Boys’ Singles U19: Shenuk Thavisha Samararatne
Girls’ Singles U19: Pawani Induwari Illeperumachchi
Boys’ Doubles U11: Rajai Atheeb / Hansaka Rashminda
Boys’ Doubles U13: Prithish Yasasa Abeysiri Gunawardana / Anuka Visvaka Kadahettige
Boys’ Doubles U15: Amavan Amarasinghe / Chenaal Dewshan
Boys’ Doubles U17: Nethil Thewmika / Maneth Theekshana Wijegunawardana
Boys’ Doubles U19: Pamith Bandara Attanayake / Thidasa Irushika
Girls’ Doubles U11: Sihathna Nethusandi Keerawella / Inuki Sihathna Wijesekara
Girls’ Doubles U13: Sayuni Sithunima Kulasuriya / Limandi Gajali Padma Bandara
Girls’ Doubles U15: Fathima Amani / Yenuri Nethsara
Girls’ Doubles U17: Vinuthi Diyathna Ranasinghe / Yenara Nethumli Wickramasinghe
Girls’ Doubles U19: Sanuthi Gurusinghe / Pawani Induwari Illeperumachchi
Mixed Doubles 110+: Duminda Jayakody / Enoka Jayalath
Mixed Doubles 30: Yohan Bandara Weerasooriy / Nadeesha Gayanthi
Mixed Doubles 40: Amil Kumara Yatapana / Deshani Chathurika Bandara
Mixed Doubles 45: Manjula Perera / Renu Chandrika
Mixed Doubles 50: Rohan Fernando / Wijayalakshmi Gardiye Punchihewa
D. S. Senanayake College proudly hosted its rugby jersey ceremony and sponsor felicitation on April 22 at the college premises, marking a significant event in the school’s sporting calendar.
The ceremony was held in the presence of distinguished guests, with Ifthikar Wahid gracing the occasion as the chief guest, and Firaz Fazi attending as the guest of honour. Both were warmly welcomed by the college principal, staff, and the rugby fraternity.
This year, the D. S. Senanayake are led by Lankesh Wickramasinghe, with Rasindu Bandara and Methila Peiris serving as vice-captains. The event not only highlighted the team’s commitment and preparation for the season ahead but also underscored the importance of sportsmanship and unity.
In addition to the jersey presentation, the event recognized and appreciated the invaluable contributions of the team’s sponsors, whose continued support plays a crucial role in the development and success of rugby at the college.The ceremony concluded with words of encouragement from the dignitaries and a strong sense of anticipation for a successful rugby season.
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IPL 2025: Kohli and Hazlewood break Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home duck as Rajahstan Royals botch another chase
At some point, you’d think the toss gods would show Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) a little mercy at home. But once again, the coin turned its back on Rajat Patidar. This time, though, the bad luck ended right there as they posted 205 for 5, their highest total at home this season. For all that, another heartbreak loomed, but RCB turned it around sensationally to clinch their first home win – and perhaps their most dramatic win at any venue – of IPL 2025.
The losing side were Rajasthan Royals (RR), who came into this contest having let back-to-back games slip out of their control in the final over. Their tension seemed to have defused when Dhruv Jurel , having scratched his way to 18 off 23, found his hitting range, and when he and Shubnam Dubey ransacked 22 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over, the equation came down to 18 off 12.
Then came Josh Hazelwood. He was ice-cold in the moment, producing a masterful 19th over of unhittably steep bounce – conceding just one run and taking two wickets, of Jurel and Jofra Archer in successive balls.
It was left to Yash Dayal, the same man who had held his nerve in a now-legendary last over to deliver their previous home win, against Chennai Super Kings last season. And he delivered as RR lost by 11 runs after having the chase in their grasp for so long.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium erupted. RCB had finally found their voice at home and, with it, a long-overdue win that put them in the top three. For RR, this was a fifth straight loss that left them on the brink.
With 17 needed off ten, Hazlewood conjured a moment of magic – a pinpoint wide yorker that Dhruv Jurel shaped to scythe but appeared to miss. With little conviction, Patidar opted for a caught-behind review. Technology confirmed what only Jurel might have known – a faint under edge that carried low to Jitesh Sharma. A seemingly innocuous dot turned into a game-changing strike.
Jurel, who had weathered a slow start and was just beginning to ignite, walked back, and with him went RR’s best hope. But Hazlewood wasn’t done. He cranked up a hard-length ball next that cramped Archer for room. It was as if Archer had been served a dish of his own, cold. The ball ballooned to cover, where Patidar pouched it gleefully.
If Hazlewood’s final over, the 19th, was theatre, his penultimate over was no less telling. Having seen balls angled across the left-handers disappear, he went around the wicket to Shimron Hetmyer and pounded the surface with venom. Hetmyer tried to nudge him away but only managed a feather of an inside edge through to Jitesh. Only six runs came off that over, the 17th, and RCB’s grip got firm.
Long before the chaos of the death overs, RR were cruising. Yzshaswi Jaiswal had lit the Chinnaswamy up with a power-packed 49 off 19, and Nitish Rana was stroking it with finesse. At 110 for 2 in nine overs, the chase seemed to be on autopilot.
It’s here that Krunal Pandya was summoned and he delivered a breakthrough first ball when Riyan Parag, looking to muscle a slog sweep, only managed a top edge that settled into Jitesh’s gloves.
At the other end, Suryash Sharma was equally impressive. Mixing up quick, skiddy legbreaks with the odd wrong’un, he kept the pressure on. RR managed just one boundary from the tenth to the 13th overs. Under rising pressure, Rana went for a release shot in the 14th, only for Bhuvneshwar to pluck a catch on the second attempt at short fine leg. Krunal now had figures of 3-0-19-2. The strangle was on.
Half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal laid a strong foundation after Phil Salt’s scratchy 26 off 23, while a late dash from Tim David and Jitesh lifted RCB to 205 for 5. Kohli overcame a streaky start to get to a composed fifty in 32 balls. His early duel with a fiery Archer was, in particular, thrilling. Meanwhile, Padikkal made the most of two dropped chances to notch up a second straight half-century.
Just as the platform was set for a lift-off, RR struck back, removing Kohli, Padikkal, and Patidar in quick succession. But David and Jitesh picked up 42 runs in just 19 balls to cap the innings with a flourish. In a match that swung wildly from one side to the other, those closing overs turned out to be the difference between a defendable total and yet another heartbreak.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 205 for 5 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 26, Virat Kohli 70, Devudutt Padikkal 50, Tim David 23, Jitesh Sharma 20*; Jofra Archer 1-33, Sandeep Sharma 2-45, Wanidu Hasaranga 1-30) beat Rajasthan Royals 194 for 9 in 20 overs (Yashaswi Jaiswal 49, Vaibhav Suriyavanshi 16, Nitish Rana 28, Riyan Parag 22, Dhruv Jurel 47, Shimron Hetmyer 11, Shubham Dubey 12; Josh Hazlewood 4-33, Bhuveneshwar Kumar 1-50, Yash Dayal 1-33, Krunal Pandya 2-31) by 11 runs
[Cricinfo]
Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s leading connectivity provider and long-standing patron of school sports, has reaffirmed its commitment to youth development by once again partnering with the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) to power the 2025 Under-19 School Rugby Season.
In a break from tradition, this year’s tournament will begin with the prestigious President’s Trophy Knock-Out Tournament, which kicks off on 25th April, featuring sixteen top rugby-playing schools. The League Tournament will follow, drawing over 2,500 players from 90 schools, making it one of the largest school sporting events in the country.
The 2025 season promises a festival of school rugby, spread across premier venues in Colombo. The Knock-Out Tournament will spotlight the best young talent Sri Lanka has to offer, culminating in a grand finale on 18th May at Sugathadasa Stadium.
Opening day fixtures on 25th April will see Wesley College take on St. Joseph’s College at Royal Grounds, while Dharmaraja College meets D.S. Senanayake College at CR&FC Grounds. Both matches begin at 4:15 PM.
A blockbuster Saturday awaits on 26th April, with four matches lined up. At CR&FC Grounds, S. Thomas’ College face Science College at 3:30 PM, followed by Trinity College vs. St. Anthony’s College at 6:30 PM. Simultaneously, two more games kick off at 4:15 PM — Zahira College vs. Vidyartha College at Havelock Grounds and Sri Sumangala versus defending champions Isipathana College at Royal Grounds.
The opening weekend concludes on 27th April, with St. Peter’s College versus Thurstan College at Royal Grounds and Royal College versus Kingswood College at CR&FC Grounds, both kicking off at 4:15 PM.
The quarter-finals will be held on 3rd and 4th May, followed by semi-finals on 9th and 11th May, with the season climaxing in the final at Sugathadasa Stadium.
As the principal sponsor, Dialog Axiata has ensured comprehensive coverage of the tournament. All matches will be broadcast live on Dialog Television via ThePapare TV (Channels 62 & 63) and ThePapare TV HD (Channels 126 & 127). Fans can also tune in via Dialog ViU and ThePapare.com, enabling students, alumni, parents, and supporters to follow the action from anywhere.
At the official sponsorship handover Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC, presented the sponsorship cheque to Kamal Ariyasinghe, President of the SLSRFA and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Education. Also in attendance were Harsha Samaranayake (Vice President – Brand & Media, Dialog Axiata) and SLSRFA officials Chanaka Dhananjaya (Treasurer), Manuja Nimmana (Secretary) and Nirodha Wijerama (Tournament Secretary).
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