Sports
Susal and Sachini clinch national titles
Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2022
The reigning national chess champion Susal de Silva of Nalanda College won the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship for the second successive year as he scored ten points in 13 games at the 2022 edition concluded on Sunday.
The 17-year-old FIDE Master, lead from the start and beat his Ananda College rival Ranindu Liyanage in the eighth round which gave him the needed tie-breaking points to win the title and the cash award of Rs. 112,500.00. Susal beat A.A.C.B. Amarasinghe, Isuru Alahakoon, Dhanushka Bandara, Chandana Wijekoon, S.D.B.K. Senevirathne, Brijeash Sarawanabhawan, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage and N.P.G. Sithija Lahiru and drew with Nabil Nazar, T.S.D. Kiriealla, Lisara Samadith Tennakoon and Elath Mathanga de Silva. His only blemish was against Achinthya Shamane Kaluarachchi.
Top seed FIDE Master, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage also scored ten points out of the possible 13 games but had to satisfy with the silver medal as he lost tie-breaking points. Ranindu beat Brijeash Sarawanabhawan, T.S.D. Kiriealla, Sithija Lahiru, Elath Mathanga, Achintha Shyamane Kaluarachchi, Lisara Samadith Tennakoon, A.A.C.B. Amarasinghe, Dhanushka Bandara and S.D.B.K. Senevirathne, drew with Chandana Wijekoon and Nabil Nazar. He suffered defeats at the hands of Susal and Isuru Alahakoon. Liyanage won the silver medal and a cash award.
FIDE Master, Isuru Alahakoon of Sri Lanka Navy settled for the third position with 8 ½ points.
Women International Master, Sachini Ranasinghe won her fifth Women’s National Chess Championship title convincingly scoring nine points out of 13 games. She beat Pasindi Wijesuriya, Oneli Vithanawasam, Janandani Abeysinghe, Nemindi Ramanayake, Tiumi Yashora, W.M.M.N. Wijesinghe and Wishwara Mapa and drew with Yasasi Abeysekara, Chamodya Yapabandara, Desandi Gamage and Esha Mihisha Pallie. She suffered defeats at the hands of Sanudula Dahamdi and Minethma Wickramasinghe. Apart from the trophy Sachini also received a cash award of Rs. 100,000.00.
Desandi Gamage of Sirimavo Bandaranaike College won the second spot with 8 ½ points. She was awarded the silver medal and a cash award of Rs. 50,000.00.
Janandani Abeysinghe of NSBM Green University was placed third with eight points.
The top five players in both events are now selected to represent Sri Lanka at the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 in India.
The Golden Jubilee Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2022 was conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka for a half a million cash fund. The best 14 players of each section competed in 13 rounds for the supremacy.
The Awards Ceremony of the event was held at Hotel Taj Samudra just after the final round on Sunday. Luxman Wijesuriya, President CFSL, General Secretary of the Commonwealth Chess Association and Shiang Wong, Deputy General Manager – Product Marketing of SLT Mobitel (Main Sponsor of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka) distributed the awards.
(Cricbuzz)
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.
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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