Sports
Sachin and Hasini shock Niluka and Thilini

Li Ning – Lanka Shuttle Challenge
by Reemus Fernando
Southern Stars were given a rousing start to Li Ning – Lanka Shuttle Challenge 2020 by Sachin Dias and Hasini Ambalangoda as they secured two wins for their team to record 6-1 in the tie against Northern Knights captained by Olympic hopeful Niluka Karunaratne on the opening day of the tourney in Colombo.
Sachin and Hasini won their men’s and women’s singles encounters respectively before combining to beat Karunaratne and Thilini Hendahewa 2-0 in the mixed doubles. Fancied Karunaratne and Hendahewa were beaten 21-9 in the first set and later fought hard in the second set but were beaten 21-19.
The Northern Knights’ solitary victory was recorded by Karunaratne who joined K. Madhubanu to record 21-17, 21-18 in the men’s doubles tie.
In two closely contested ties, Eastern Eagles beat Island Titans 4-3 and Central Crusaders beat Western Warriors 4-3 while the results of remaining ties were not available at the time this edition went to press.
The ties were played at the Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) and Mercantile Badminton Association (MBA) courts.
The tournament was declared open by Chairman of the National Sports Council, former Sri Lanka cricket captain, Mahela Jayawardene who graced the occasion as the chief guest. Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Anuradha Wijesekera and Director-General of the Department of Sports Development, Amal Edirisuriya, were also present at yesterday’s opening ceremony.
Organized by SLB, the five-day event will witness six teams of 12 players each vying for honours as well as handsome prizes. SLB has adopted a franchise model to add glamour and set the precedents for an annual event each year that will complement the Senior and Junior Nationals.
The competing teams are, Eastern Eagles, Southern Stars, Western Warriors, Northern Knights, Central Crusaders and Island Titans.
Each team includes three men, three women and a boy and a girl under the age of 17. Teams are led by senior champion players, namely the Karunaratne brothers, Niluka and Dinuka, Sachin Dias, Buwaneka Gunetileke, Kavidi Sirimanage and Dilmi Dias with the national pool players evenly distributed to create a fine balance of talent.
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Nissanka’s masterclass powers Sri Lanka fightback in Galle Test

Pathum Nissanka produced a career-best 187 to anchor Sri Lanka’s spirited reply on day three of the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle on Thursday, guiding the hosts to a commanding 368 for four at stumps.
Sri Lanka still trail by 127 runs, but with wickets in hand and a placid pitch beneath their feet, the momentum appears to be tilting in the hosts’ favour.
On a surface that has offered little to the bowlers, Nissanka made hay while the sun shone, unleashing an array of strokes that left the Bangladesh attack chasing leather. The right-hander peppered the off-side with exquisite drives and was equally adept square of the wicket, cutting and pulling with authority to force the field back.
The 27-year-old had been under the pump coming into the match, having managed just one half-century in nine innings since his heroic ton at The Oval last year against England. But there was no stopping him this time, as he cashed in on a batter-friendly deck to silence critics and steady Sri Lanka’s ship.
Having first made waves with a century on debut in the Caribbean four years ago, Nissanka’s red-ball career has been sporadic, punctuated by injuries. But since August last year, he has carved out a regular spot in the Test side, though recurring back niggles have occasionally sidelined him.
Nissanka was cruising towards a maiden double hundred when he was castled by Hasan Mahmud with the second new ball — bowled through the gate in classic fashion. His knock, laced with 23 fours and a six, was a timely reminder of his pedigree and poise at the crease.
He put on 47 for the opening wicket with debutant Lahiru Udara, before adding a crucial 157 runs with Dinesh Chandimal for the second wicket. Chandimal, who looked set for a big score, fell against the run of play, flicking one to leg slip to give Bangladesh a much-needed breakthrough.
Angelo Mathews, walking out to bat in his farewell Test amidst a guard of honour from the opposition, joined Nissanka in a stand worth 89. The veteran looked composed until he feathered a catch behind off part-time spinner Mominul Haque for 39.
Though Nissanka stole the limelight, the most assured batter at the crease by day’s end was Kamindu Mendis. The left-hander was a picture of composure, using his feet to good effect against the spinners and rotating strike with ease. He remained unbeaten on 37, with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva on 17, as Sri Lanka ended the day with plenty still in the tank.
Earlier in the morning, Bangladesh added just nine runs to their overnight total before being dismissed for 495. Asitha Fernando mopped up the tail, finishing with four wickets as the tourists lost their last six wickets for just 37 runs — a collapse that handed Sri Lanka the opening to claw back into the contest.
Rex Clementine ✍️
in Galle
Sports
Seven cueists to compete for Sri Lanka at Asian 6 Red & Team Snooker Championship

Sri Lanka will field seven cueists including champions Irshath Thaha and Susantha Boteju when the country hosts the Asian 6 Red and Team Snooker Championship 2025 at the Moors Sports Club billiards table in Colombo from June 22.
The seven-day championship is hosted by Billiard and Snooker Association of Sri Lanka (BSASL) under the auspices of the Asian Confederations of Billiard Sports (ACBS).
Irshath Thaha and Susantha Boteju are joined by Mohamed Rikaz, Dhanushka Puwakgolla, Mohamed Musharaff, Mohamed Mubeen, and Thiyagarajah Thanji to vie for honours
The seven day championship due to end on June 28 will see the participation of 17 countries namely Kuwait, Hong Kong China, China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Cambodia, Macau, Qatar, Singapore, Iraq and host Sri Lanka.
The regional event will see the participation of over 50 cueists and will showcase the action of past and present world champions giving the snooker fans a rare opportunity to witness the top notch players in action. The championship will be played over six tables and action will begin for the day from 10.00 a.m. each day with five sessions planned to be conducted.
The players will clash for two titles the Asian 6 Red which is an individual event and the Team championship that will be contested between two players from each country.
At the last edition of the tournament which was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last year, Awais Muneer of Pakistan clinched the men’s singles 6 Red event and Team Thailand emerged the team champions. They will be looking to retain the titles.
The tournament will give the emerging and established players the much needed exposure and gain valuable international experience and an opportunity to showcase their talent.
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