Sri Lankan shuttle stars shine at Vietnam Open

By Susil Premalal   

Sri Lankan senior badminton players showcased their prowess at the Badminton Asia Senior Open 2023, held at the Tien Son Sports Complex in Danang, Vietnam.   

Organised by the Badminton Asia Confederation, the tournament brought together experienced players from across the continent.   

The highlight of Sri Lanka’s performance was Renu Chandrika de Silva’s outstanding victory in the Over-45 Women’s Singles category.   

A former national champion, de Silva demonstrated her dominance by defeating India’s Yasmeen Shaikh with a convincing score of 21-7, 21-9 in the final, securing the Gold Medal in style.   

Adding to Sri Lanka’s success, Lakshmi Punchihewa displayed commendable skills in the Over-65 Women’s Singles category, securing the Bronze Medal in a hard-fought competition.   
In the Over-80 and 110 combined age Women’s Doubles, the formidable duo of de Silva and Punchihewa once again demonstrated their synergy by clinching the Bronze Medal.   
The Sri Lankan representation continued to dominate as the Mixed Doubles team of Rohan de Silva and Chandrika de Silva claimed the Gold Medal in the Over-110 combined age category.   

In the Men’s division, Manjula Fernando exhibited outstanding performance in the Over-45 Men’s Singles category, earning the Silver Medal. Fernando ultimately lost to Indonesia’s top seed, Jhonu Hidayat, in a closely contested final.