Sports

Yasitha, Dineshkanthan defy defending champions to win doubles title

Published

2 years ago

2021/12/30

Tennis Nationals 2021

Men’s singles champion Yasitha de Silva won his second title of the ongoing Tennis National Championships when he joined Thangaraja Dineshkanthan to beat defending champions Thehan Wijemanne and Chathurya Nilaweera in the men’s doubles final at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts on Wednesday.

Emerging players Wijemanne and Nilaweera were the doubles champions at the last edition where they beat Yasitha de Silva and Sankha Atukorale.

This time Yasitha joined Dineshkanthan for the doubles and the experienced pair came back from a set defeat to score 3-6, 6-3, 12-10 in the final yesterday. Of the doubles finalists, Wijemanne, Nilaweera and de Silva were involved in the business end of the men’s singles as well with the last two reaching the final.

In the Under 12 category, the most competitive age category of this championship, Githmi Fernando of Ave Maria Convent, Negombo and Ananda College player Methika Wickramasinghe clinched the girls’ and boys’ singles titles respectively yesterday.

In a clash between the top two seeds, number one seed, Wickramasinghe beat Aahil Kaleel 6-2, 7-6(5) to win the boys’ final.

On his way to the final Wickramasinghe beat Senul Marasinghe (4-0, 4-0), Minhas Muthuthanthri (4-2, 4-1), Chamidu Abeysinghe (quarter-final 6-3, 6-2) and third seed Saha Kapilasena (semi-final 6-4, 3-6, 10-8).

In the girls’ final, Fernando beat Akeesha Silva 6-2, 6-1 to win the title. Fernando beat Vinuthi Nethumya 4-0, 4-0, Gianna Perera (4-0, 4-0), Yuhansa Peiris (Quarter-final 6-0, 6-2) and top seed Gehansa Methnadi (Semi-final 6-2, 6-3) to reach the final.

The winners received their awards from Sujani Bogollagama, vice president Sri Lanka Tennis Association.

All News Advertisement

Latest News

ODI World Cup 2023 winner to receive USD 4 million in prize money

Published

6 hours ago

2023/09/22

Priyan

As in 2019, the winner of this year’s ODI World Cup will be awarded prize money of USD 4 million. The ICC has allocated a total of $10 million for the tournament, which begins on October 5 in Ahmedabad.

Two million dollars have been set aside for the runner-up while the losing semi-finalists can also bank on a sum of $800,000.

The other six teams will exit the competition at the end of the group stages with $100,000 each, which essentially means everyone taking part in the World Cup are assured of this sum of money. The winner of each league match is also assured $40,000.

India qualified by virtue of being hosts while New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa progressed from the 2020-23 ODI Super League. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands came through the qualifying tournament held in June and July 2023.

This World Cup follows a simple round-robin format with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. The top four will qualify for the semi-finals, to be played in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.

The defending champions England and the runner-up in 2019 New Zealand will kick off the competition in two weeks’ time. The hosts, India, will begin their campaign against five-time winners Australia on October 8 and then build up to the group stage’s marquee clash with Pakistan on October 14. The matches are spread across 46 days and 10 cities with the final scheduled on November 19 in Ahmedabad.

After the recent ICC decision to offer equal prize money for both men’s and women’s events, this sets the precedent for the next Women’s World Cup in 2025.

(Cricbuzz)

Latest News

Priyadharshani’s four-for the highlight as Sri Lanka cruise into Asian Games semis

Published

13 hours ago

2023/09/22

Priyan

Inoshi Priyadharshani picked up 4 for 10 (Cricinfo)

Inoshi Priyadarshani’s career-best returns of 4 for 10 backed up by a quick 32 from Anushka Sanjeewani helped Sri Lanka brush aside Thailand by eight wickets and advance to the semi-finals of the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Chasing 79 in the rain-reduced 15-overs-a-side quarter-final, Sri Lanka coasted to a win in 10.5 overs. Rain and a wet outfield had delayed the start of the game by close to an hour-and-a-half. Once the weather cleared, Sri Lanka opted to field under grey skies.

Udeshika Prabodhani found some movement in the air, but it was Priyadharshani who inflicted the early damage, accounting for four of the first five wickets to fall. She struck twice in her first over – the second of the innings – dismissing Suwanan Khiaoto and Natthakan Chantham. In her next over, she removed Nannapat Koncharoenkai before accounting for Naruemol Chaiwai with a smart caught and bowled.

At 37 for 6, Thailand were sinking rapidly but a 29-run stand between Chanida Sutthiruang and Phannita Maya arrested the slide a touch. Sutthiruang top-scored with an unbeaten 31 and was the only batter to get into double-digits as Thailand managed to reach 78 for 7 in 15 overs.

Chamari Athapaththu and Sanjeewani then made light work of the chase. They brought up their 50 partnership in the sixth over before Thipatcha Putthawong accounted for Athapaththu, who top edged a slog sweep.

Putthawong also removed Sanjeewani but the damage had been done by then. Thailand were not helped by their ground fielding; they committed a number of mis-fields and dropped chances. Harshitha Samarawickrama closed the game in the 11th over with a pull over deep square leg.

Sri Lanka will face Pakistan in the second semi-final on Sunday.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 84 for 2 (Chamari Athapaththu 27, Anushka Sanjeewani 32, Harshitha Samarawickrema 14*; Thipatcha Putthawong 2-21) beat Thailand 78 for 7 (Chanida Sutthiruang 31; Inoshi Priyadharshani 4-10, Sugandika Kumari 1-13, Chamari Athapaththu 1-13, Kavisha Dilhari 1-14) by eight wickets

Sports

France rout Namibia 96-0 in Rugby World Cup match

Published

19 hours ago

2023/09/22

Priyan

France captain Antoine Dupont was forced off in the second half with an injury to his face during the Pool A rout of Namibia (pic BBC)

France are on the brink of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals after claiming their biggest-ever win with a 96-0 victory over Namibia in Pool A.

Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick, while Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon and Louis Bielle-Biarry all scored twice.

Antoine Dupont, Thibaud Flament, Baptiste Couilloud and Melvyn Jaminet also crossed before a penalty try took their total tally to 14 in Marseille.

The only French cause for concern was the loss of Dupont to injury. The hosts’ captain was withdrawn during the second half following a head-on-head tackle by Johan Deysel, whose yellow card was upgraded to a red by the bunker-review system.

France head coach Fabien Galthie’s decision to keep his talisman on the field despite his side’s huge 54-point half-time advantage could be scrutinised if Dupont’s injury keeps him on the sidelines with the knockout stages looming.

Line-ups:

France: Ramos; Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Bielle-Biarry; Jalibert, Dupont; Baille, Mauvaka, Atonio; Woki, Flament; Cros, Ollivon, Jelonch.

Replacements: Bourgarit, Wardi, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Boudehent, Couilloud, Moefana, Jaminet.

Namibia: Van der Bergh; Mouton, Deysel, Burger, Greyling; Loubser, Theron; Sethie, Van der Westhuizen, Coetzee, Tjeriko, Ludick, Katjijeko, Retief, Gaoseb.

Replacements: Nortje, Benade, Shifuka, Van Lill, Hardwick, Blaauw, Izaacs, Rossouw.

Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

(BBC Sports)