By Ishani Upatharitha
[caption id="attachment_164964" align="alignnone" width="456"] Handing over financial rewards to Sri Lanka U-19 cricketers on Tuesday (28 September) in Colombo: (from left) Thilak Waththuhewa, President, SLSCA, Ashley De Silva, CEO, SLC, Ravin Wickramaratne, Vice President, SLC, and Chinthaka Edirimanne, Head of Domestic Cricket, SLC[/caption]Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has rewarded and recognised 26 players of the Sri Lanka Under-19 squad, currently undergoing training focusing on the upcoming inbound tours, U-19 Asia Cup, and the U-19 World Cup, coming up next year.
The players were given financial assistance of Rs. 100,000 each for the commitment shown for the game by the youngsters since identifying them through an island-wide talent hunt programme, conducted by SLC.
“During our playing era, we did not have adequate cricketing facilities and playing opportunities to enhance our game. However, things have changed now, as SLC is working tirelessly to provide the best of facilities for the cricketers to prosper and progress to the next level,” said Ravin Wickramaratne, Vice President, SLC whilst handing over the monetary recognition to the players on Tuesday (28 September).
“You were selected to the U-19 squad out of a talent hunt programme SLC conducted across the island covering every district and province, and I urge you to use this opportunity and progress to the national level,” Wickramaratne has further added.
The 26 players, who were recognized, completed a 22-day residential training camp on Wednesday at SSC, Colombo in a bio-security bubble environment.
Ashley De Silva, CEO, SLC, Tilak Waththuhewa, President, Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), Tim McCaskill, Head, National Cricket Development of SLC, and Chinthaka Edirimanne, Head, Domestic Cricket of SLC, were present on the occasion.
The junior national selectors, headed by Ranjith Madurasinghe, had selected the 26-member squad out of the 75 players, through an island-wide talent profiling programme conducted by SLC.
https://twitter.com/TheMorningSpor1/status/1443896820543803392* SL women placed 12th at 25th Asian TT
[caption id="attachment_164966" align="alignnone" width="455"] Sri Lanka women’s and men’s table tennis teams at the 25th Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar[/caption]Sri Lankan women’s team ended up 12th out of 18 countries and their men’s counterparts got 18th place out of 28 in the 25th Asian Table Tennis Championship in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday (29 September).
Sri Lanka women beat Bangladesh 3-0 yet they lost against Kazakhstan 3-1 in the group stage on Tuesday (28). Sri Lanka beat Jordan 3-0 in the 11th to 14th place play-offs on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka women lost against Indonesia 3-0 in the play-offs for 11the to 12th places on Wednesday.
Ishara Madurangi lost 3-2, Bimandi Bandara lost 3-1, and Muthumali Priyadharshani lost 3-1 in their matches as Indonesia won the the 11th place.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka men’s team beat Bangladesh 3-0. Yet they lost against Thailand 3-1 in the group stage on Tuesday.
Sri Lankan men lost against Qatar 3-1 in the 11th to 18th place play-offs on Wednesday. Sri Lanka lost against Indonesia 3-2 in the 17th and 18th place play-offs on Wednesday.
Senura Silva won 3-2 and lost by 1-3 in his games whilst Milinda Lakshitha won 3-2. Skipper Chameera Ginige lost 3-0 and 3-1 as Indonesia got the 17th place of the tournament.
The 25th Asian Table Tennis Championship was conducted as a qualification event for the World Team Championship 2022.
In 2019, Sri Lanka men’s team earned the 23rd place while their women’s counterparts finished in 15th place, out of all leading Asian countries.
Sri Lanka women’s TT team:
Ishara Madurangi (Captain), Bimandi Bandara, Muthumali Priyadarshani, and Thanushi Rodrigo
Sri Lanka men’s TT team:
Chameera Ginige (Captain), Senura Silva, Milinda Lakshitha, Nimesh Ranchagoda, and Imantha Udanjaya
Officials: Chathura D. Egodage (Coach) and Ravindra Jeewantha (Physiotherapist)
* CEAT brings motor racing to homes of fans with ‘CEAT eShift X’
[caption id="attachment_164968" align="alignnone" width="455"] ‘CEAT eShift X’ will be held from 2 p.m. on Sunday, 10 October[/caption]Motor racing fans, who had starved of the adrenaline rush of live competition, will be able to enjoy the next best thing in the comfort and safety of their homes, thanks to one of the sport’s biggest benefactors, CEAT Kelani Holdings.
The country’s top tyre-maker, and for many years the title sponsor of Sri Lanka’s premier racing championships, has announced its support for a simulator racing championship that will be live-streamed on Facebook over one and a half hours on the day of the final showdown - from 2 p.m. on Sunday, 10 October.
‘CEAT eShift X’ will pit the top 14 PS4/PS5 simulator racers on Gran-turismo that qualify from the preliminary rounds against each other in the finale, a challenging Honda Civic 1,600cc Hatchback one-make race on gravel, which will be free to view live on at least three Facebook pages - which are from CEAT Kelani Holdings, race officiator Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC), or the race organiser Pit Pass Sri Lanka.
Among the well-known racing names already registered to compete in the preliminary rounds of this virtual racing event are real-life motor racing aces such as Devin Serasinghe and his father Upulwan Serasinghe, who have raced in CEAT livery on some of the toughest racetracks in Sri Lanka winning honours for their skill.