Sports
Sooriya, CIC Vetcare come forward to sponsor Thilini and Ranthushka
Sun Match (Ceylon) Ltd. with their Sooriya brand of safety matches and CIC Vetcare have come forward to sponsor badminton players Thilini Hendahewa and Ranthushka Karunatilake, Sri Lanka Badminton announced on Friday.
Sri Lanka Badminton in a statement said that the National Olympic Committee was instrumental in securing lucrative sponsorships for Hendahewa and Karunathilake after careful evaluation by NOC marketing consultant Rohantha Athukorala.
“SLB has been in long drawn out talks with the Ministry of Sports (MOS), as well as the National Olympic Committee (NOC). MOS since Feb 2021 has provided a Tier 01 sponsorship package for Buwaneka Gunetileke and Sachin Dias, the top doubles combination in Sri Lanka. NOC has now stepped in and secured lucrative sponsorships for two more elite badminton athletes, Thilini Hendahewa and Ranthushka Karunatilake. Sun Match (Ceylon) Ltd., with their Sooriya brand of safety matches takes on the welfare of Thilini while CIC Vetcare has picked Ranthushka,” it said in the statement.
“SLB has over the last year or so, stepped up its training regime with full-time training programs for its elite athletes at the dedicated stadium premises. Apart from on-court and physical training, a customized nutrition program has been introduced to ensure better body composition befitting top athletes. The elite athletes have been paid a stipend to help them meet training and welfare expenses while an overseas international competition schedule is about to get underway in a few days.”
“What is special in this sports sponsorship package is the model chosen by NOC in collaboration with SLB, to provide a personal development module and a hands-on mentoring scheme that will ensure that these athletes are offered the means to explore their full sports potential but also the means to enhance the quality of their personal lives.”
Gowri Rajan, the marketing head of Sooriya and Ajith Weerasinghe the MD of Vetcare could not be present due to personal commitments, but NOC Chief Suresh Subramaniam and SLB Treasurer Mangala Gamage did the honors signing the two agreements on behalf of the athletes, moderated by Athukorala.
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Sports
All eyes on new entrants ‘Sri Lions’ as domestic rugby kicks off today
By A Special Sports Correspondent
All eyes will be on new entrants to rugby ‘Sri Lions Sports Club’ when they debut in the 2024/25 Inter-club league rugby tournament in Kandy on Sunday (December 15). Sri Lions are slated to take on last season’s league tournament runners-up Kandy Sports Club at the Nittawela grounds. Despite Sri Lions SC being new to domestic rugby, a thriller is expected; as the team is packed with players who are well drilled at training and the other reason being all players possess an IRB Level 1 qualification.
Sri Lions SC’s entry into division 1 rugby was not smooth. Many clubs opposed their promotion to the top league in the domestic tournament. Rugby sources told ‘The Island’ that despite the opposition shown by some clubs, Sri Lanka Rugby and other prominent sports authorities in Sri Lanka had to grant the new entrants their due place in the top league. This was largely because Sri Lions SC had made progress through the proper channel by winning the B Division rugby tournament last season.
Dr. Kelum Sujith Perera, the founder chairman of Sri Lions SC, was quoted in the newspapers saying that the club’s priority was centred around professionalism and transparency and that the club was committed to contributing to rugby development in Sri Lanka.
The club boasts of having in their line up comprising 12 former national players and a horde of talented ex-schoolboy players who have recently finished their academic commitments on a high.
The other matches scheduled for the first week of club rugby are: Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club vs CH&FC at Ratmalana (December 13), Army Sports Club vs Police Sports Club at Panagoda, Navy Sport Club vs Havelocks SC at Welisara (Both matches on December 14).
CR&FC will be one of the teams to watch this season given that they are the reigning league rugby champions. The side is led by Gemunu Chethiya. The club upgrading their stadium to have floodlight facilities should elevate player thinking to another level. The other club to offer floodlight facilities for domestic rugby matches is Havelocks SC. However CR will not have a match in the opening week of the tournament.
Last season’s league runners-up Kandy SC are led this season by seasoned scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara who counts years of experience playing in domestic and overseas tournaments. The side is coached by Fazil Marija. Kandy SC’s dominance in domestic rugby was broken last season and much is expected of the side from Nittawela, which is going through a team building phase at present.
CH&FC is a dangerous side to play against when the team members are gelled and focused. Last season the side finished fourth. This season the Gymkhana Club is led by Janidu Dilshan.
Havelocks SC led by Abdullah Faiz is set to finish on a high this season. The Park Club finished third in the league rugby tournament last season. Police SC, which had to be satisfied winning the ‘Plate Championship’ in the league tournament last season, will be another strong contender vying for honours . The side is led for the second consecutive year by third row forward Mohan Wimalaratne.
The other sides in the tournament are Army SC, Air Force Sports Club and Navy Sport Club.
The tournament is conducted by Sri Lanka Rugby, the governing body for the sport in the island. Rugby sources reveal that an SGM has been called on December 20 for clubs to attend with the motive of announcing the date for the much looked forward to Annual General Meeting of SLR. According to International Rugby regulations, SLR has to have it’s AGM before January 31 next year.
Sports
Revaan, Shannon reach Under 12 singles final
SLTA Hard Court Nationals
Revaan Amarasinghe and Shennon Senadheera reached the Under 12 boys singles final as they edged out their semi-final opponents at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association Hard Court Tennis Nationals at the SLTA courts on Thursday.
Amarasinghe of S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia beat Nuren Wevita 6-1, 6-1 in his semi-final.
In the other semi-final, Wesley’s Shannon Senadheera beat Yonal Dankumbura 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Results : Under 14 Boys quarter-final
Jayan Sebastian beat Buvidu Jayawardana 6-4, 6-3.
Damsath Peiris beat Thuvakar Sathiees 6-3, 6-4.
D. Wickramasinghe beat Umar Wayis 6-3, 6-1.
Under 18 Boys’ semi-final
Louis Knese beat Ganuka Fernando 6-4, 6-3
Women’s Singles quarter-final
Rukshika Wijesuriya beat Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
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