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NSSF provides electronic target facility to national shooters at a provisional range

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The electronic target facility has been setup at a provisional facility owned by the President of NSSF, Shirantha Peries near Kohuwala.

Asian Online Shooting Championship 2021

The National Shooting Sport Federation (NSSF) of Sri Lanka has made arrangements to introduce electronic target facilities to national shooters as it gears up to form a strong team for the upcoming inaugural Asian Online Shooting Championship 2021, which will be held on January 29 and 30.

The electronic target facility has been setup at a provisional facility owned by the President of NSSF, Shirantha Peries near Kohuwala.

“We have been craving for a permanent national shooting range since 2015, but so far nothing has materialised in favour of the sport. There were requests made to several Sports Ministers who were in and out of office during this period, but the NSSF had to finally make a crucial decision to setup this temporary shooting range in early 2019. Now the electronic targets are placed here for the use of national shooters,” Pradeep Edirisinghe, the General Secretary of NSSF said in a statement.

The introduction of electronic targets has several objectives. It will come handy to shooters of the national squad to train prior to any important international meet, which have been not held globally since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More importantly, the introduction of electronic targets will facilitate the upcoming inaugural Asian Online Shooting Championship 2021, which will be held on January 29 and 30. Currently members of the national shooting squad are engaged in a qualifier trial meet in the 10m Air Rifle and 10m Air Pistol individual events for men and women.

“The trials are a good lead up to the NSSF as this is the first time Sri Lanka is taking part in an online Asian competition. Unlike at our local competitions where the whole process is done manually, the outcome at electronic targets happens in real time. We can fully rely on the accuracy of the process, as during the competitions the Asian Shooting Federation will monitor the whole course from Kuwait,” Edirisinghe explained.

According to the guidelines issued by the Kuwait Shooting Federation, the organisers of the competition, three participants each per discipline from each country, will be given the opportunity to compete. In Air Rifle and Air Pistol for both Men and Women, three shooters each must qualify based on the minimum qualifying standards set by the organisers.

“In addition skeet and trap events will take place during the same period, but Sri Lanka will be able to take part only in the skeet because we are having the NSSF Skeet Open this weekend and the top three shooters will automatically qualify for that. Air Rifle and Air Pistol shooters from all countries must qualify,” said Edirisinghe.

The Asian Online competition will start at 10.00am local time in each country at their respective shooting ranges and updates will be monitored in real time by the organisers based in Kuwait. The respective countries taking part must provide facilities to shooters under strict health guidelines, and ISSF qualified independent judges in each country will officiate the matches, before submitting the approved report with results to Kuwait.

“We will begin shooting at these competitions starting from 10.00am as instructed at this temporary facility in Kohuwala and at the Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo’s shotgun range facility in Payagala. We, as the NSSF must take the responsibility for an honest report and these results are totally based on mutual understanding,” he further explained.

The NSSF intends to continue this exercise during the coming months as international meets are yet to resume since early 2020, due to the pandemic and global travel restrictions. However the introduction of electronic targets to Sri Lanka is a welcome sign for NSSF, as it will have the ability to provide its shooters a facility they could only experience overseas.



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Rwanda to host inaugural ICC Women’s Challenge Trophy from April 18

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"This tournament is a testament to the growth of Rwandan cricket," the president of Rwanda Cricket Association said (Nigeria Cricket Federation)

Rwanda will host the inaugural Women’s Challenge Trophy,  which starts on April 18 in Kigali with Rwanda taking on Italy,  in the first game and Nepal  facing USA  in the second game later in the day. The tournament, which will run till May 1, also features Vanuatu, and has a total of 20 games over ten match days.

The tournament is a new one in the ICC’s calendar, organised to provide match exposure to the second rung of Associate women’s teams. The eight-team Emerging Nations Trophy, introduced last year, featured the highest-placed teams from the ICC’s five regions, and this one pits the next-highest-placed teams. The teams were confirmed based on their positions at the regional T20 World Cup qualifiers last year.

“A double round-robin format assures maximum match exposure for teams, so that participants are better prepared to play stronger opposition in the years to come,” the ICC said in a statement. “This falls in line with the ICC’s commitment to deliver competitive cricket with context for all its members as it moves to continuously grow the women’s game.”

The matches will be played at Gahanga Cricket Stadium, a facility that has two adjoining grounds which host international cricket – Gahanga Cricket Stadium Main Oval and Gahanga Cricket Stadium Oval B.

“This tournament is a testament to the growth of Rwandan cricket and would not be possible without the unwavering support of our stakeholders, partners, and the ministry of sports,” president of Rwanda Cricket Association Stephen Musaale said. “To our incredible fans: we call on you to fill the stands at Gahanga with your energy and passion. Let us show the world the warmth of Rwandan hospitality as we cheer on our team in this historic chapter of our sporting journey.”

Schedule of matches

April 18: Rwanda vs Italy and Nepal vs USA
April 19: Rwanda vs Vanuatu and Italy vs Nepal
April 21: Rwanda vs USA and Vanuatu vs Italy
April 22: Rwanda vs Nepal and USA vs Vanuatu
April 24: Nepal vs Vanuatu and Italy vs USA
April 26: Rwanda vs Vanuatu and USA vs Nepal
April 27: Rwanda vs Italy and USA vs Vanuatu
April 28: Rwanda vs Nepal and Italy vs Vanuatu
April 30: Italy vs USA and Nepal vs Vanuatu
May 1:      Rwanda vs USA and Italy vs Nepal

(The first matches will start at 9am local time and the second at 1pm local time)

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Canada T20 World Cup match under ICC corruption investigation

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A match Canada played against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup earlier this year is under scrutiny (cricinfo)

The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is investigating allegations of corruption involving Cricket Canada, one of which focuses on a game involving Canada  from the recent men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

ESPNcricinfo understands the ACU has two active investigations that span elements of Cricket Canada and allegations of breaches of the ICC’s anti-corruption code at international and domestic level as well. The existence of the allegations emerged in a documentary ‘Corruption, Crime and Cricket’, produced by the fifth estate, a Canadian investigative documentary programme. The 43-minute film, aired by the public broadcaster CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) on Friday, makes wide-ranging accusations of corruption and governance at Canada Cricket.

According to the documentary the claim of corruption at the World Cup comes from Canada’s game against New Zealand. Under scrutiny is the fifth over of New Zealand’s chase when the captain Dilpreet Bajwa  came on to bowl. Bajwa, then 22, was appoi ted captain three weeks before the tournament began.

Primarily a batting allrounder who bowls offspin, Bajwa took the ball with New Zealand 35 for 2. Canada had opened the bowling with pace in Jaskaran Singh and Dilon Heyliger, but in a poor start they conceded 15 and 14 runs respectively. They switched to spin as early as the third over, when Saad bin Zafar came on and bowled a wicket maiden. Heyliger took a wicket in the next over – the fourth – and then Bajwa came on. He began the over with a no-ball, bowled a wide down the leg side and ended up conceding 15 off the over.

The other investigation stems from a recording of a telephone call involving then Canada coach Khurram Chohan, in which he claims that senior (now former) Cricket Canada board members put pressure on him to select certain players to the national side. The audio was leaked last year and has been under ACU investigation since. The recording also contains claims of attempts to fix in matches, though those involve challenges in corroborating with actionable evidence.

“The ACU is aware of the programme broadcast by CBC,” Andrew Ephgrave, interim General Manager of the ICC’s Integrity Unit, said in a statement to ESPNcricinfo. “Consistent with its established operating procedures, the ACU is not in a position to comment on the substance of any allegations contained within it.

“Governance matters in relation to ICC Members are considered by the ICC, where they fall under its jurisdiction, in accordance with the ICC’s standard constitutional processes.

“The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit operates across three core functions: intelligence, prevention and education, and investigation. These functions operate concurrently and are applied wherever there is a credible basis to believe the integrity of the sport may be at risk.”

The documentary also interviews another former coach, Pubudu Dassanayake,  who makes a similar claim on undue influence being applied on him in squad selections, in his case for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The fifth estate said the board tried “to force” Dassanayake to select certain players and when he didn’t, he was told his contract would be terminated. Dassanayake is suing Cricket Canada for wrongful dismissal.

Canada’s players faced delayed payment of prize money due to them from the 2024 T20 World Cup and the documentary claims that national players were uncontracted from July 2025 and then put on small retainers for four months leading up to this year’s T20 World Cup.

The documentary also explores the links of organised crime after a former player claimed he was threatened. That investigation, Ephgrave told the fifth estate is beyond the ACU’s remit. “I am aware of some allegations. That very much is a domestic matter for whenever that is taking place. And very much a law enforcement responsibility,” Ephgrave said in the documentary.

(Cricinfo)

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Jayasinghe siblings create unique record

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Methika Jayasinghe and sister Binuthi Jayasinghe walked away with MVP awards at the recent finals

Methika Jayasinghe and sister Binuthi Jayasinghe delivered exceptional performances at the recently concluded All-Island Under-20 Basketball Championship, securing championship titles and earning the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards in their respective categories.

The tournament, held from April 8 to April 11, 2026, featured the finest young basketball talent from across Sri Lanka. The girls’ final took place on April 10, followed by the boys’ final on April 11.

Representing Holy Family Convent, Colombo, Binuthi Jayasinghe played a pivotal role in her team’s triumph in the girls’ final, producing an outstanding performance with 25 points. Her dominance on the court, combined with her composure and technical ability, earned her the MVP award, marking her as one of the most promising young athletes in the sport. Notably, she is an Under-17 player who competed at the Under-20 level, making her achievement even more commendable.

In the boys’ competition, Methika Jayasinghe, representing St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, led his team as captain of the Under-20 side. Demonstrating exemplary leadership and consistent performance throughout the tournament, he guided his team to victory in the finals. His influence on the game and overall excellence were recognized with the awarding of the MVP title. Furthermore, Methika has achieved an outstanding record in school basketball, having won all championships in his age category without suffering a single defeat.

Both Methika and Binuthi also held Youth Captain roles, further highlighting their leadership qualities and importance to their respective teams.

Their dual achievement of securing both championship titles and MVP honours stands as a remarkable milestone, reflecting their dedication, discipline, and commitment to excellence. The success of the Jayasinghe siblings at this national-level competition underscores their potential to make a significant impact on the future of Sri Lankan basketball.

Both their parents also represented Sri Lanka in basketball with distinction.

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