Nettasinghe targets an Olympic Medal in 2028 or 2032

Viren Nettasinghe stressing a point to the media in the presence of SLB President Rohan de Silva (left) and Director General Dr. Shemal Fernando (right)

By Susil Premalal
“My Olympic Medal target is not 2024, but my dream is to win an Olympic Medal in 2028 or 2032,” Sri Lanka’s badminton sensation Viren Nettasinghe said yesterday.
The 20-year-old became the first Sri Lankan to directly qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games from July 26 to August 13 in France.
Currently ranked 72nd internationally, Nettasinghe earned an impressive 24,030 ranking points throughout the season, placing himself in the 32nd spot among the qualified players for this year’s Olympic Games.
A remarkable highlight is that Nettasinghe, at just 20 years old, is the youngest player on the list of qualifiers, showcasing his exceptional talent and promising future in the sport.
Nettasinghe is coached by his father, Roshan Dhammika, whose main goal is to reduce the World Rankings to below 50 after the Paris Olympic Games. 
Nettasinghe made these observations during a media briefing jointly organised by the Ministry of Sports and Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) and held in Colombo under the patronage of President SLB Rohan de Silva and the Director General of the Department of Sports Development of the Ministry of Sports, Dr. Shemal Fernando. 

Nettasinghe has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games badminton events following the heroics of Niluka Karunaratne, who represented the country at the 2012 London Games. 
58 sportsmen and women are vying for a place at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games from 12 different disciplines, and Nettasinghe is the first to reach the elite mark. 
Dr. Fernando said that the Sports Ministry has already allocated LKR 8.2 million on behalf of Nettasinghe and for his preparations for the Paris Olympic Games.
Nettasinghe had the opportunity to participate in nine Olympic Qualification international events from January 1 to April 7, including the Yonex International Tournament (Estonia), Victor Swedish Open Tournament (Sweden), 32nd Faji International Challenge (Iran), Uganda International Challenge (Uganda), Dutch International (Netherlands), Orien Polish Open (Poland), Toyota International Challenge (Thailand), Condensate International Challenge (Kazakhstan), and Badminton Asia Championship (China).