* Residential programme for U-19 cricketers from 12 July
A residential training camp will be held for Sri Lanka U-19 pool of cricketers from 12 July to 2 August at two venues, Pallekele and Asgiriya Stadiums in Kandy. The national selectors have picked 75 talented school cricketers targeting the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) U-19 tournament in Dubai later this year and the 14th edition of the International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies in 2022. The selectors have picked those players from five Zones, Colombo North and South, Southern, Central, and North-western. After the residential camp, 30 members will be for the national U-19 squad.
Following are the players selected for the special training programme:
Western Province North: Bhawantha Jayasinghe (Thurstan), Nipun Premaratne (Thurstan), Sadeesh Jayawardena (St. Joseph’s), Shevon Daniel (St. Joseph’s), Dunith Wellalage (St. Joseph’s), Raveen de Silva (Nalanda), Vinuja Ranpul (Nalanda), Lisura Sigera (Nalanda), Mineth Premaratne (Ananda), Hansaja Jayasinghe (Ananda), Senash Fernando (De Mazenod), Irosha Silva (De Mazenod), Sahil Dias (Wesley), Savindu Perera (Maris Stella), and Sithija Hewawitharana (Gurukula)
Western Province South: Yasiru Rodrigo (S. Thomas’), Ryan Fernando (S. Thomas’), Gishan Balasooriya (Royal), Sadisha Rajapaksa (Royal), Danal Hemananda (St. Peter’s), Lahiru Dawatage (St. Peter’s), Wanuja Sahan (St. Peter’s), Tharindu Amarasinghe (Prince of Wales), Omesh Mendis (Prince of Wales), Sakuna Liyanage (Lumbini), and Vihanga Dimantha (Lumbini), Abhishek Liyanaarachchi (D. S. Senanayake), Eranga Jayakody (Nalanda), Induwara de Alwis (St. Sebastian’s), and Charuka Peiris (Sri Sumangala, Panadura)
Kandy: Matheesha Pathirana (Trinity), Ranuda Somarathne (Trinity), Pawan Pathiraja (Trinity), Vibavith Ehelepola (Trinity), Akram Muthalib (Trinity), Chamindu Wickramsinghe (St. Anthony’s), Chandimal Herath (St. Anthony’s), Yasiru Gamaarachchi (St. Anthony’s), Anjala Bandara (St. Anthony’s), Asitha Wanninayake (St. Anthony’s), Maleesha Silva (St. Sylvester’s), Divyesh Ramiah (St. Anthony’s), Trevin Mathews (St. Anthony’s), Lahiru Abeysinghe (St. Anthony’s), and Maleesha Senanayake (St. Mary’s, Kegalle)
Galle: Pawan Sandesh (Devapathiraja), Jeewaka Shasheen (Devapathiraja), Sasanka Nirmal (Devapathiraja), Irushika Thimira (Devapathiraja), Bhanuka Manohara (Richmond), Vishara Rashmika (Richmond), Kavindu Nirmana (Richmond), Hansamanna de Silva (Richmond), Harindu Jayasekara (St. Thomas', Matara), Nipun Ruchira (St. Thomas', Matara), Dhanuja Jayaweera (Mahinda), Kushan Madusha (Mahinda, Galle), Dulash Samuditha (Weeraketiya Central), Malsha Tharupathi (Madampa Central), and Mihiranga De Silva (St. Aloysius', Galle)
Dambulla: Nethmal de Soyza (St. Joseph Vaz, Wennappuwa), Vishva Rajapaksa (St. Joseph Vaz, Wennappuwa), Hasintha Kaushan (St. Joseph Vaz, Wennappuwa),), Dhanuka Nirmal (St. Joseph Vaz, Wennappuwa), Matheesha Weerasinghe (Maliyadeva, Kurunegala), Rishi Adishtan (Maliyadeva), Sakindu Wijerathne (Maliyadeva), Pasindu Tennakoon (St. Annes’, Kurunegala), Dilhara Deshabandu (St. Anne’s), Manaan Muzammil (St. Anne’s), Prabuddha Premalal (Ibbagamuwa Central), S. Sarangan (Jaffna Central), Haritha Kaveeshvara (Royal, Polonnaruwa), Maleesha Thilakaratne (St. Sebastian’s, Katuneriya), and A. Deshvin (St. Patrick’s, Jaffna)
(By Ishani Upatharitha)* Ranindu leaves for FIDE Chess World Cup
Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage of Ananda College, Colombo is leaving for Russia today (9) to represent Sri Lanka at the FIDE Chess World Cup 2021. Liyanage wrote his name in golden letters in Sri Lankan Chess history being the first player to participate in ‘the strongest chess event in the world’. The FIDE World Cup is the event where the top 208 players in the world participate on the knockout basis in a period of one and half months to find the best in the world. All the top players in the world, including the current world chess champion Magnus Carlson, have confirmed their participation. The event starts with the opening ceremony to be held on 11 July at Sochi, Russia. The first round starts on 12 July. (By Ishani Upatharitha)
* ‘Yeti’ to energise SL squash
Sri Lanka Squash (SLS) teamed up recently with the isotonic sports drink manufacturer Yeti as their official isotonic sports drink partner. As part of the partnership, the national squash team will have access to the elite Yeti portfolio of sports isotonic products, a media release in this regard said yesterday (8). Yeti isotonic has been approved by the Sri Lanka Health Ministry and Sri Lanka Sports Ministry.
In the photo is Managing Director, Yeti, Dr. Dilshan Balasuriya (5th from left) handing over the official T-shirt to the Captain of the Sri Lanka women’s squash team Fathum Issadeen. Also seen are (not in order) Ravindu Laksiri (Captain, Sri Lanka men’s team), Nishelli Perera (Director, Yeti), Eranga Alwis (Secretary, SLS), Malik Perera (CEO, Yeti), Suren Kohobange (President, SLS), Natali Goonewardene (Assi. Secretary, SLS), and Nilruk Soysa (Treasurer, SLS) (Photo Kamal Wanniarachchi)
* Sri Lanka Olympic team to wear ‘LOVI Ceylon’
LOVI will be the dress of our Olympic athletes and the delegates for the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony on 23 July. “Like many kids, I loved watching the Olympic games on TV and dreamt of somehow representing Sri Lanka, one day,” said Asanka de Mel, CEO of LOVI, adding “Even if not as an athlete, I’m thrilled to be part of the event by supporting these extraordinary players as well as the dedicated coaches and officials leading the effort.”
Inspired by the notion of Olympic harmony, LOVI designed the Sri Lanka outfits based on its ‘unity collection’ for the global affair. The maroon, orange, and green colours of the Sri Lanka national flag are hand-woven with gold lines signifying diversity and strength. LOVI’s trademarked gold crown represents sovereignty and the ambition of our new generation to be world class. There is a special label in the Japanese language expressing honour of the host country, Japan. A limited-edition collection will be available soon for LOVI fans to take part in this momentous occasion.
In the photos are Sri Lanka team members Niluka Karunaratne (badminton) and Tehani Egodawela (shooting). In the group photo is CEO - Lovi Asanka de Mel (centre) with (from left) National Olympic Committee (NOC) member Chandana Liyanage, Chef de Mission Gamini Jayasinghe, NOC Sec. General Maxwell de Silva, NOC President Suresh Subramaniam, Sri Lanka Olympic legend Susanthika Jayasinghe, and Fazil Hussain, also of NOC.