Sports
Rahul, Savitha win titles as Susal, Sanudula earn most points for hosts
Asian Junior Chess Championships 2021
India’s V.S. Rahul and Women’s International Master Shri Savitha won the respective titles while Susal de Silva and Sanudula Dahamdi were the players to gain highest FIDE rating points among Sri Lankan players as the Asian Junior Chess Championships 2021 concluded at Citrus Hotel, Waskaduwa on Thursday.
V.S. Rahul who led from day one concluded the championship with 7 ½ points to win the gold in the open category as he scored a draw against Orini Gholami of Iran in the final round.
Rahul beat Kosala Amarathunga, Isara Dhahanayake, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage all three from Sri Lanka and three Indian International Masters Vardaan Nagpal, G.B. Harshawardana and Mitrabha Guha and drew games against Susal de Silva of Sri Lanka, International Master Shrihari Ragunandan of India and Gholami on his way to the gold.
Women’s International Master Shri Savitha of India drew her last game against Chanindi Mewna Attanayake of Sri Lanka to end up with seven points and the gold medal. She scored victories against Gimashi Weeratunge, Niklesha Tharushi, and Oshini Gunawardena of Sri Lanka, Al Maamari of UAE and Women International Master, K Priyanka of India and drew against Melika Mohammadi and Anousha Mahdian both of Iran, Sanudula Dahamdi and Chanindi Mewna Attanayake.
For the hosts Susal de Silva profited gaining 68.4 FIDE rating points in the open category while, Sanudula Dahamdi obtained 44.8 rating points.
The Asian Junior Chess Championships 2021 conducted by the Asian Chess Federation was organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka. A total of 54 players, 32 in Open and 22 in Women’s category participated in this even.
The Awards Ceremony was held under the patronage of Luxman Wijesuriya, the President of CFSL and a Vice President of Asian Chess Federation. Hisham Al Taher, the General Secretary of Asian Chess Federation and Casto Abundo, the Executive Director of Asian Chess Federation addressed the audience virtually.
Rahul, Melika win Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Chess Federation conducted an Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship to coincide with the Asian Junior Chess Championships 2021. Rahul was once again the winner in the Open Category while Melika Mohammadi of Iran clinched the women’s competition.
Sri Lanka National Chess Champion, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage of Ananda College and young talent, Susal De Silva of Nalanda Collegewere tied for the second place. Ranindu won the silver medal as he had a higher tie breaker. Susal had to satisfy with the Bronze Medal.
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) signing of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizure Rahman for the remainder of IPL 2025 has hit a snag, with the BCB stating that it hasn’t been approached for a no-objection certificate (NOC).
Usually, the IPL only announces signings after a player has received an NOC from his home board. According to its CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, the BCB had yet to receive a request for one.
“Mustafizur is supposed to go with the team to the UAE according to the schedule,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday. “We have not received any communication from IPL officials. I have also not received any such official communication from Mustafizur either.”
Mustafizur is part of the Bangladesh T20I squad that is due to play back-to-back away T20I series against UAE and Pakistan, both of which clash with the IPL. On Wednesday, hours after the IPL announced his signing as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mustafizur flew out to Dubai with the rest of Bangladesh’s squad.
Bangladesh are due to play two T20Is in the UAE on May 17 and 19, followed by five in Pakistan on May 25, 27 and 30, and June 1 and 3. Those two series are in conflict with the IPL; DC are set to play their last three league matches on May 18, 21 and 24, followed by the playoffs should they get there.
ESPNcricinfo has sought a response from DC on this development.
[Cricinfo]
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana who is undergoing treatments for an injury he sustained during the World Relays, is racing against time to recover for the Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in South Korea later this month.
The 400 metres specialist is one of the two sprinters slated to compete in the one lap race. He is also a key member of the men’s 4×400 metres and 4×400 metres mixed relays alongside Kalinga Kumarage.
“Currently Dharshana is undergoing treatments. We are hopeful that he will recover in time for the Asian Championships,” Dharshana’s coach Asanka Rajakaruna told ‘The Island’.
“Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a fitness test before the Asian Championships. Hopefully he will be ready by that time,” said Rajakaruna.
Sri Lanka Athletics earlier said that a fitness test will be held to assess the strength of the 20 strong team selected for the biennial event.
Sri Lanka fielded only a mixed relay team for the recently held World Relays in Guangzhou, China where an injury to Dharshana cost them a chance to achieve a top performance and a probable ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Sri Lanka won a historic gold medal in the men’s 4×400 metres at the last edition of the Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok Thailand where the team inclusive of Dharshana beat India to the second place with a new championship record time of 03:01.56 seconds.
Kalinga Kumarage who did the anchor leg and Dharshana are the only members from that gold winning team selected for the upcoming event.
Dharshana is the only Sri Lankan athlete to have clocked sub 45 seconds in the 400 metres after legendary Sugath Thilakaratne.
Dharshana and Kumarage hold the second and third places respectively in the list of fastest times achieved in the 400 metres by Sri Lankan athletes. Dharshana has a personal best of 44.99 seconds achieved during the last Olympic games.
by Reemus Fernando
110th Colombo Championships
Dinara de Silva bagged her second title of the Colombo Championships as she partnered Inuki Jayaweera to record straight sets victory in the women’s doubles final played at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Wednesday.
Dinara and Inuki beat Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 6-2, 6-3 in the doubles final.
Incidentally, it was the second title of the tournament for both Dinara and Inuki.
While Dinara won the women’s singles and doubles titles, Inuki was the winner of the mixed doubles and the women’s doubles.
Women’s doubles results
Semi-finals
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala 6-3, 6-2
Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi beat Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya 6-3, 6-0.
Quarter-finals
Venuli Jayasinghe and S. Usgodaarachchi beat Tuvini de Alwis and Hasali Gajaba 6-4, 5-7, 10-3.
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Nimasha Shehara and Arushi Thomas 6-1, 6-3.
Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala beat Diyansa de Silva and Lihini Jayakody 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya received a walkover from Gehansa Methnadi and Akeesha Silva.
NOC issue, fixture clash put Mustafizur’s IPL participation in doubt
Presidential secretariat launches initiative to install sanitation facilities at fuel stations under “Clean Sri Lanka”
Financial assistance from the President’s Fund for next of kin of victims of the Kotmale bus accident disbursed through Divisional Secretariats
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