Sri Lanka Badminton targets world stage

By Susil Premalal

The responsibility placed on National Sports Federations (NSF) to focus on international status and medal prospects resonates very audibly in the corridors of Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB).

Apart from Niluka Karunaratne, who has held sway for a long time and made considerable efforts at the highest levels including the Olympics, other national players have not had the opportunity to make their presence felt.
The Ministry of Sports’ High-Performance Unit has been a great impetus in this direction. While it has set an ambitious target for all local athletes, SLB has been working on the same wavelength for quite a while.
It was among the first NSFs to create an elite squad and provide these athletes with a monthly stipend as well as introduce a customised nutrition programme to ensure the long-term development of the individual player. 
This key objective goes side-by-side with the squad that will represent Sri Lanka at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. From then on based on the results earned, SLB will set its sights on the Paris Olympics in 2024. 

The core elite squad players in training at present are Dinuka Karunaratne, Sachin Dias, Buwaneka Gunetileke, Ranthushka Karunatilake, Rasindu Hendahewa, Viren Nettasinghe and Dumindu Abeywickrama among the men’s players while Thilini Hendahewa, Kavidi Sirimanna, Dilmi Dias and Ashini Fernando head the women’s group with several young ladies vying for honours.