By Susil Premalal   

A successful training programme to introduce air badminton was held within the Matale District based on schools from the Educational Zone of Hambanthota, Ukuwela by the Regional Development Committee of Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB).   

The training programme, held at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Vidyalaya in Ukuwela, was attended by 50 teachers and coaches of 25 schools from the Ukuwela Educational Zone.   

A similar training programme with attendance of 50 teachers and coaches for 25 schools from the Raththota Educational Zone, was held at the Auditorium of the Matale Provincial Secretariat, where the distribution of badminton equipment for 50 schools was held.   

The Chairman of the SLB Regional Development Committee and SLB Vice-President, Roshan Gunawardena and members of the SLB Regional Development Committee, Palitha Hettiarachchi and Indika Upendra, SLB Coordinator Thilina Dhanasinghe, attended the training programme.   

The training programme was conducted by Bandara Samarakoon, Lecturer of the University of Peradeniya and a qualified SLB Umpire while the programme was attended by Rohana Dissanayake, the Coordinating Secretary to the Ministry of Education for Matale District and Dayan Dissanayake, the Matale District Badminton Coordinating Officer of SLB.  

In addition, officials representing the Regional Educational Zones and the Principal of Mahinda Rajapaksa Vidyalaya, Ukuwela were present at the occasion.   

The Regional Development Committee of SLB intends to conduct an assessment programme following the commencement of training at the 50 schools that attended the training programme.   

SLB will conduct an air badminton tournament among the 50 schools soon with the intention of selecting players to the district squad.