* Savini and Thehan clinch SL Clay Court Nationals main titles
Savini Jayasuriya and Thehan Wijemanne won the women’s and men’s open singles titles of this year’s SL Clay Court Tennis Nationals on Saturday (3) at the SL Tennis Association (SLTA), Colombo. The event was sponsored by HNB and Hutch Telecom. Jayasuriya, a Gateway International College - Colombo, student, beat Janali Manamperi 6/1, 3/6, 6/1 while Wijemanne, a student of Royal College - Colombo, beat Luka Knese 6/4, 3/6, 6/1 in their respective finals. It is noteworthy that both the champion players are coached by Niranjan Cassiechetty. In the photos are Jayasuriya serving in the tournament while Thehan is greeted by his father Sanjaya, who is also a former Davis Cup player for Sri Lanka like his son. (Photo Ishan Wanniarachchi)
* SLC offers annual contracts for 1st Class Umpires
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on 31 March granted annual contracts for 18 1st Class Umpires, thus marking the first time a contracted panel was appointed to officiate in 1st Class games in Sri Lanka. Among the umpires given contracts were four of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) International Panel of Umpires (Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Raveendra Wimalasiri, Lyndon Hannibal, and Prageeth Rambukwella) and six Emerging Panel (Keerthi Bandara, Deepal Gunawardena, Asanga Jayasuriya, Hemantha Botheju, Rohitha Kottahachchi, and Raveendra Kottahachchi) and eight Level-I umpires (Ranmore Martinesz, Gamini Dissanayake, Pradeep Udawatta, Nilan De Silva, Kapila Kottahachchi, Susantha Dissanayake, Vidura Prasad, and Sisira Perera) of SL. The event saw participation of Deepal Madurapperuma, Chairman, Umpires’ Committee of SLC, Kumar Dharmasena, ICC Elite Panel Umpire and Umpire Consultant of SLC, Wasanthalal Fernando, Secretary, SLC Umpires’ Committee, and Dilran Abeysekera, Member of SLC Umpires Committee. Chinthaka Edirimanne, Head of Domestic Cricket of SLC, Chanaka Thenuwara, Manager, Umpire Development of SLC, and Tyron Wijewardena, Manager, Umpire Training of SLC were also present on the occasion. In the photo are the contracted umpires together with the SLC Umpires Committee, SLC officials, and ICC Elite Panel Umpire Dharmasena.
* Negombo RC dominates NSSF Trap Open C’ships
The Negombo Rifle-shooting Club (NRC) dominated the “NSSF (National Shooting Sport Federation) Trap Open Championship 2021” as its Rishan Dias accumulated 34 points in the final round to clinch the overall championship of the three-day competition held at the Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo’s Shotgun Range in Payagala, Kalutara. Dias’ team-mates Muditha Samaranayake and Ambrith Samaranayake won the silver and bronze medals respectively after curling up the final round with 31 and 22 points. Anil Peries, representing Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo, was placed overall fourth among six finalists, with 18 points, while NRC’s Jeremy Fernando completed at fifth place with 16 points. Mohamed Fahim, representing Hill Country Shooting Club, earned 14 points and finished sixth. Held under the leadership of Shirantha Peiris and purview of experts Mohan Gilbert (Match Director) and Dinesh Lionel (Range Master), the Trap Open 2021 was NSSF’s second event of the year which will have a total of 11 local meets. NSSF will conduct its Open Rifle and Pistol Championship during the month of May at the SLNS Gemunu Range in Welisara. In the photo are (from left) Muditha Samaranayake, Rishan Dias, and Ambrith Samaranayake.
* Hambantota Hornets win Dialog Beach Soccer C’ship 2021
The championship of the Dialog Beach Soccer Championship 2021 was clinched by Hambantota Hornets. The hometown heroes delivered for their home crowd in a brilliant fashion over the weekend! In the photo is Skipper of the Hambantota Hornets receiving the Dialog Beach Soccer champions trophy from Manhara Wijeyawickrama, Senior General Manager - Channel Planning & Control, Dialog Axiata PLC. Also in picture (L-R) Nalin Hemakumara (Hambantota Football League President and Coordinating Secretary to the Sports Minister), Dr. Manil Fernando (Chairman, Medical Committee), Anura De Silva (President, Football Federation of SL), Shalika Ranaweera (Chairwoman, Women’s Football) and (partially covered) M.M. Rameex (Chairman, Futsal & Beach Soccer Committee)
* Tissa Jayasinghe re-elected President of Dharmaraja OBA
Tissa Jayasinghe was elected as the President of the Dharmaraja OBA for the second term recently. He has played cricket, football, hockey, and athletics in his younger days. He was the Sports Secretary of the Prison Dept. and was Vice President of Sri Lanka Hockey Federation, Coach of SL women’s hockey team, national-level umpire, and also the Kandy District Hockey Association President. Jayasinghe was also the Kandy District Cricket Association Secretary and one of the Vice Presidents of the Central Province Cricket Association too. (By Hafiz Marikar in Kandy)