Sri Lanka’s promising young squash players concluded a successful campaign at the 33rd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships, held in Panzhihua, China, from 20th to 24th May. Competing against the continent’s finest junior athletes from 16 countries across the Under-19, Under-17, Under-15, and Under-13 age categories, the Sri Lankan contingent delivered several outstanding performances and gained valuable international experience.

Leading the nation’s achievements were a number of impressive Plate Division results. In the Girls’ Under-19 category, Nethmi Wickramasinghe emerged as the Plate Champion. In the Boys’ Under-19 event, Tharul Pinwatta secured the Plate Runner-up position.

Sri Lanka also celebrated success in the Under-17 categories. Manuth Dassanayake claimed the Boys’ Under-17 Plate Championship, while Thedara Liyanage finished as the Girls’ Under-17 Plate Runner-up.

Further success came in the Under-15 division, where Chanumi Thebuwena won the Girls’ Under-15 Plate title. Nevan Rubasinghe added another podium finish for Sri Lanka by becoming the Boys’ Under-15 Plate Runner-up.

Several Sri Lankan players also recorded notable performances against strong Asian competition. Sithumli Mendis produced one of the best performances for the team, finishing 11th in the Girls’ Under-17 category. Meanwhile, Sayuri De Silva finished 13th in the Girls’ Under-13 category, demonstrating the bright future of Sri Lankan junior squash. In the Girls’ Under-15 division, Methuki Herath, Navya Ganegoda, and Dinithma Mihely also performed strongly in the Super Plate round, securing commendable positions and showcasing Sri Lanka’s growing depth of talent at the junior level.

Beyond the players, Sri Lanka was proudly represented among the tournament officials. World Squash Officiating (WSO) referees Sasindu Thrimavithana and Priyantha Ishara served on the international refereeing panel, reflecting the growing recognition of Sri Lankan officials on the Asian stage.

‎‎The team was supported by a highly qualified coaching staff comprising World Squash Federation-certified coaches Chaminda Thalagala, Mahesh Chandana, Thushara Wasantha Kumara, and Ashan De Silva, who provided technical expertise and guidance throughout the championship.

The administrative delegation was led by Team Managers Wing Commander Sanjeewa Nanayakkara, Assistant Secretary of Sri Lanka Squash, and Wing Commander Lahiru Abeyrathne, Tournament Director of Sri Lanka Squash. Their leadership and support played a significant role in ensuring the smooth participation of the Sri Lankan contingent throughout the championship.

The performances in Panzhihua highlighted the steady progress of Sri Lankan junior squash and underlined the country’s growing presence in Asian competition. With several players achieving podium finishes and others recording strong placements against Asia’s elite, the future of Sri Lankan squash continues to look increasingly promising.

Sri Lanka Squash now looks ahead to further international opportunities and its long-term vision of strengthening the nation’s standing in Asian squash, with aspirations of hosting major continental events in the years to come.

Asian Junior Athletics Championships

‎Sri Lanka concluded a successful campaign at the Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Hong Kong on Sunday, finishing eighth in the medals table with an impressive haul of eight medals comprising two gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

‎The four-day championship was highlighted by outstanding performances from Ransini Perera and Tharushi Abhisheka, who delivered Sri Lanka’s two gold medals.

‎Sprint sensation Ransini Perera produced a thrilling finish in the girls’ 200 metres to secure the gold medal in a time of 24.07 seconds. The athlete from Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya edged out her rivals in a dramatic photo-finish, becoming the first Sri Lankan to win the Asian Junior 200 metres title since former sprint queen Susanthika Jayasinghe captured the crown during her junior years in Jakarta in 1994.

‎Middle-distance runner Tharushi Abhisheka opened Sri Lanka’s gold-medal account on the first day of competition. The former Wickramabahu National School, Gampola athlete, now representing Lyceum International School, Wattala, clocked 4:31.41 to win the girls’ 1,500 metres at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground. She later added a bronze medal in the girls’ 800 metres, finishing in 2:07.10 on the final day to complete an impressive double-medal achievement.

‎Sri Lanka’s silver medals came through Dineth Liyanage and high jumper Tharusha Mendis. Liyanage produced a powerful finishing burst in the boys’ 800 metres to clock 1:49.22 and finish second behind the winner while narrowly edging Japan’s Atsuki Watanabe for silver. Mendis lived up to expectations in the boys’ high jump, clearing 2.14 metres to secure the runner-up position.

‎The country’s bronze-medal tally was boosted by Sadew Rajakaruna in the boys’ 200 metres, Mihinsa Dewmini in the girls’ high jump with a clearance of 1.72 metres, Tharushi Abhisheka in the girls’ 800 metres and the mixed 4×400 metres relay team.

‎Despite the medal success, Sri Lanka also experienced a measure of disappointment as the men’s 4×400 metres relay team narrowly missed a podium finish. Rajakaruna and Omel Shashintha also fell just short of medals in their individual 400 metres events, finishing outside the top three.

Tharushi Abhisheka

‎Nevertheless, Sri Lanka’s eight-medal haul and eighth-place finish underlined the country’s growing strength in junior athletics and provided several encouraging performances for the future. (RF)

Any cricket tour of the Caribbean stirs a sense of excitement. It is not just about the cricket; it is also about experiencing the unique cultures, rhythms and ways of life that make these islands unlike any other place in the world.

Take Barbados, for instance. Home to just 300,000 people and spread across a mere 430 square kilometres, the island has produced a remarkable assembly line of cricketing talent. If it is opening batsmen you seek, they gave the world Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. If fast bowlers are your thing, then Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner stand tall among the game’s greatest. And if you are searching for the ultimate all-rounder, there is only one answer – Sir Garry Sobers.

Over the next six weeks, Sri Lanka’s cricketers will be immersed in this cricket-loving corner of the world as they take part in a series comprising three ODIs, three T20 Internationals and two Test matches.

For the major part of the tour, Sri Lanka will be based in Jamaica, where both the ODI and T20I series will be contested. The teams will then head to Antigua for the two-match Test series.

These are two evenly matched sides and the Test series, in particular, carries added significance with valuable World Test Championship points at stake. After years of underachievement in the longest format, the West Indies have become far more competitive and difficult to beat. Sri Lanka, therefore, can expect a stern examination

With both Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews having retired from Test cricket, opportunities have opened up for the next generation. It remains to be seen who will seize them. Incidentally, Sri Lanka will be playing their first Test match in exactly a year, their previous appearance in the format having come in June 2025.

The white-ball leg of the tour gets underway with the ODIs before attention shifts to the T20Is. Kusal Mendis has been entrusted with the leadership of both limited-overs sides. While his batting form in both formats over the last two years has been exceptional, there are concerns that the selectors may be demanding too much from him. The right-hander is expected to captain the side, keep wickets and open the batting – three demanding responsibilities rolled into one.

With the World Cup in South Africa only 15 months away, this Caribbean tour could provide valuable clues about the combinations Sri Lanka should pursue for cricket’s biggest event. The lively pitches expected in the West Indies should offer a fair indication of how the side might fare in South African conditions.

There will be considerable focus on seam-bowling all-rounder Milan Rathnayake, whom many regard as a player tailor-made for South African conditions. The tour could well prove to be an important stepping stone in his development.

The opening ODI on Wednesday is a day game and will commence at 8 p.m. Sri Lanka time. The next two ODIs, both day-night encounters, will begin at 1 a.m. The T20Is are scheduled at a far friendlier hour for local fans, with first ball at 6 a.m. The two Test matches, meanwhile, will get underway at 7.30 p.m. Sri Lanka time.