Sri Lanka Junior Shuttlers off to China for BWF World Junior Championships

Sri Lanka’s junior badminton team, consisting of 8 girls and 7 boys (a 15-member team), will leave for China to represent the country at the upcoming Yonex BWF World Junior Championships 2024, which will be held at the Nanchang International Sports Centre in Jiangxi, China, from September 30 to October 13.

The shuttlers will participate in two tournaments: the Yonex BWF World Junior Team Championship for the Suhandinata Cup and the Yonex BWF World Junior Championship for the Eye Level Cup. The players will also undergo a three-day training programme before the tournament.

The Sri Lanka Junior Teams are led by Ranithma Liyanage, the national women’s champion from Christ Church Baddegama, and promising shuttler Shenuk Samararatne from St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa. They will first participate in the Olympic Solidarity Youth Athletic Development Programme – World Junior Championship 2024 from September 26 to 28 before entering the main tournaments.

The Yonex BWF World Junior Team Championship for the Suhandinata Cup will be held from September 30 to October 5, followed by the Yonex BWF World Junior Championship for the Eye Level Cup from October 7 to 13. Both competitions and the three-day Olympic Solidarity Youth Athletic Development Programme will be held at the Nanchang International Sports Centre in Jiangxi, Nanchang, approximately 1,430 kilometers south of Beijing.

The Sri Lanka Junior Boys’ team, led by Shenuk Samararatne, includes Thilina Rajakarune, Thidasa Weragoda, Achinthya Madapathage, Pasindu Mihiranga, Sanjula Handapangodage, and Pamith Attanayake. The girls’ team, led by Ranithma Liyanage, consists of Sithuli Ranasinghe, Rashmi Bhagya Mudalige, Varangana Jayawardena, Dilini Ambalangodage, Sandathi Hewagallage, Isuri Attanayake, and Sithumi Minara de Silva.

Meanwhile, six officials will accompany the team: coaches Sahan Deelaka and Duminda Nirashana, team manager Asanga Wijesundera, and team officials Sumithra Dissanayake, Buddhika de Silva, and Vijayalakshmi Punchihewa.

This is a great opportunity for young shuttlers to gain experience and showcase their talents.

The dual Grade I competitions, organised by the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA) on behalf of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), will feature 40 countries competing in eight different groups. Sri Lanka has been placed in Group ‘F’ alongside badminton heavyweights Indonesia, Poland, Northern Marianas, and Macau China.

The Group ‘A’ includes hosts China, South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong China and Ghana, while France Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Slovakia and Armenia form he Group ‘B’.

Malaysia, Netherlands, Estonia, Norway and Mongolia form the Group ‘C’ as the UAE, Denmark, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago and Cook Islands are included into Group ‘D’.

Group ‘E’ includes India, Turkiye (Turkey), Mauritius, Peru and Azerbaijan while Japan, Slovenia, England, Uganda and Latvia compete under Group ‘G’. Thailand, USA, Portugal, Vietnam and the Philippines form Group ‘H;’ to complete the number of 40 teams participating.

Source: Daily News