Compiled by Ishani Upatharitha
* Ranindu, Sasith record average scores at international chess
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Ranindu D. Liyanage[/caption]
Sri Lanka national chess champion Ranindu D. Liyanage scored five out of nine games at the Joytu Sheikh Hasina International Chess Tournament yesterday. The event was organised by the Bangladesh Chess Federation, to mark their Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 75th birthday, from 19-27 September at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Colombo’s Ananda College schoolboy Liyanage scored five points to gain 77 rating points while Sasith N. Piyumantha of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda scored 4 ½ out of nine. A total of 67 players, including nine Grandmasters and 14 International Masters, took part in the event representing Bangladesh, Belgium, Czech Republic, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine.
* Nalin Wickremasinghe elected new MCA Head
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Nalin Wickremasinghe[/caption]
Nalin Wickremasinghe, retired banker who is presently General Manager, Mode Group of Companies, was unanimously elected as the 42nd President of the Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA), at its 104th Annual General Meeting, held yesterday (29) via online technology. Wickremasinghe becomes the 28th Sri Lankan to be at the helm of at MCA, founded by the British colonialists in 1911. Rohana Dissanayake of David Pieris Group is the outgoing President.
The new MCA Executive Committee for 2021/22:
President: Nalin Wickremasinghe (Mode Group of Companies)
Vice Presidents (3): Mahesh de Alwis (Fairfirst Insurance Ltd.), Thushan Amarasuriya (Singer Sri Lanka PLC), and Sirosha Gunatillake (Trendex Lanka Pvt. Ltd.)
General Secretary: Tarindra Kaluperuma (Stafford Motor Company Pvt. Ltd.)
Asst. Secretary: Rohan Somawansa (D. Samson & Sons Pvt. Ltd.)
Treasurer: Achintha Hewanayake (DFCC Bank PLC)
Asst. Treasurer: Sanjaya Wijesinghe (First Choice Pvt. Ltd.)
Firm Representatives (6):
Duminda Pinto (Merchant Bank), P.K. Abeygunasekera (John Keells Holdings PLC), Ajith Siyambalapitiya (MAS Unichela Pvt. Ltd.), Sajith Attapattu (Asia Asset Finance PLC), Hasitha Dassanayake (Citizens Development Business Finance PLC), and Lakmal de Silva (David Pieris Motor Company)
* ‘ASUS Republic of Gamers’ to power Esports in Sri Lanka
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ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) is an ASUS sub-brand dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming hardware and software[/caption]
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG), an ASUS sub-brand dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming hardware and software, has been unveiled as the ‘Official Gaming Laptop Partner’ of the national E-sports team of Sri Lanka. Formed in 2006, ROG participates in and sponsors major international gaming events.
Leon Yu, Regional Director, System Business Group, ASUS India and South Asia said: “We are thrilled and proud to support the Sri Lanka national E-sports team so that they have the best chance of helping Sri Lanka produce future champions in the growing arena of E-sports.”
* Rumesh Ratnayake, new Sri Lanka ‘A’ Head Coach
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Rumesh 'Ruma' Ratnayake[/caption]
Former Sri Lanka fast-bowler Rumesh Ratnayake has been appointed as the Head Coach of Sri Lanka ‘A’ cricket team. The appointment is for the upcoming Sri Lanka ‘A’ home series against Pakistan ‘A’ next month. Since retiring from international cricket in 1993, Ratnayake had worked as Sri Lanka’s Head Coach and its Fast-bowling Coach. He is presently the Fast-bowling Coach at Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) High Performance Centre situated at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
SCHEDULE - PAKISTAN ‘A’ IN SL
28-31 October: 1st four-day ‘Test’ in Kandy
4-7 November: 2nd four-day ‘Test’ in Kandy
10 November: 1st one-day match
12 November: 2nd one-day match
15 November: 3rd one-day match
Fifth Asian Table Tennis: SL women in 11-12 play-offs
Sri Lankan women’s table tennis team ended up in the 11th to 12th place play-offs when they beat Jordan 3-0 at the 25th Asian Table Tennis Championship in Doha, Qatar yesterday (29). They beat Bangladesh 3-0 yet lost against Kazakhstan 3-1 in the Group stages on Tuesday. Sri Lankan were to meet Indonesia last night. Women’s teams from 18 countries participate in the tournament.
Meanwhile the Lankan men’s team beat Bangladesh 3-0 but lost against Thailand 3-1 in their Group stage ties on Tuesday (29). They also lost against Qatar 3-1 in the 11th to 18th place play-offs yesterday (29). The Lankan men were to take on Indonesia last night in the 17th place play-off. There are 28 countries that are taking part in the men’s segment.
The mixed doubles events will begin today (30).
* Supreme TV to telecast LPL
Supreme TV in Sri Lanka has acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast the Lanka Premier League (LPL), in Sri Lanka. They have got telecasting rights of the LPL from the event’s rights holders, Innovative Production Group (IPG). LPL 2021 is set to be staged from 4-12 December. “The multi-year agreement, positioned as one of the biggest broadcast deals so far in the island nation will help LPL penetrate deep into every nook and corner of the country and Supreme TV is committed to play an integral part in the television and digital transmission of the LPL starting from the second [2021] season,” said an LPL media release yesterday.
“Supreme TV considers it [telecasting LPL] a great privilege to take this rare entertainment to all Sri Lankans - the urban elite, as well as to every village, with strong island wide coverage for a continuous period of almost a month. For a cricket loving nation, which is slowly disengaging from the pandemic at this moment, opportunity to enjoy the high quality second season from home is probably the best year-end gift,” R.M. Manivannan, Chairman, Supreme TV, has said in the above release.