The Sri Lankan junior National Squash team took wing to Iran to represent the country at the 21st Asian junior individual Squash Championships. The team consists of 13 boys and 11 girls representing 4 age group categories.
The tournament which is held every two years is conducted by the Asian Squash Federation. The Championship will be held at the Olympic International Squash Club in Kish Islands-Iran from 22nd to 26th June where 9 Asian countries are expected to participate.
Three players in the Lankan outfit are seeded and many hopes are placed on them to deliver the performance to their potential. Milhiliya Methsarani is seeded no 5 in the girls u-17 category while Ravindu Laksiri and Shamil Wakeel are seeded no 14 in the boy’s u-19 and no 15 in the boy’s u-17 categories respectively.
The spot light will be on Mihiliya Methsarani from Sirimavo Balika Vidyalaya, the reigning Senior and Junior National champion who has already shone in the Asian junior arena winning two Bronze medals at the Asian Junior Squash Championships and Youth Asian Games respectively.Mihiliya will play her first match against Jui Kalgutkar from India and eventually will have to battle out with top four seeds Sivasangari Subramanium, Andrea Jia Qui Lee, Harshit Jawanda and Chan Ho Ching from Malaysiaa , India and Hong Kong respectively to proceed towards a medal.
The men’s National champion Ravindu Laksiri from D.S Senanayake College who was placed 5th in the Youth Asian games will have a tough time in proceeding towards a medal and his school mate Shamil Wakeel who won a Bronze medal in the u-15 category two years ago at the Asian Junior Squash championships too will have to put a lot of effort to repeat the same performance.
Druwinka Perera the stylish player from Royal College who was placed 5th after taking the bottom seed for a five setter in the quarter- finals in the u-13 category in the Asian junior championship held two years ago will also have to put up a tough fight to move up the ladder.
However it is very sad to see most of the juniors not being seeded and having to play the top ranked players in the region in the initial stages. These youngsters get to pay the price of not participating in Asian ranking tournaments due lack of financial support from sponsors and responsible authorities. Therefore these juniors will have to battle out with their talent against a mix of talent and exposure from the opposition.
The team compromise of the following players
Boys u 19
Ruweesha Jayawardena
Rashendra Rajarathna
Ravindu Laksiri
Boys u 17
Shamil Wakeel
Harin Weerasuriya
Senindu Induwara Dharmathilaka
Boys u 15
Heshan Balasuriya
Tuwin Osanda
Druwinka Perera
Boys u 13
Raveen Nanayakkara
Ramdas Ashwin
Methmal Wood
Girls u 19
Prabashi Rajapaksha
Raveena Sumathipala
Wasundara Suwaris
Dinali Salgadoe
Girls u 17
Fathoum Issadeen
Mihiliya Methsarani
Girls u 15
Malshi Rajapaksha
Charini Jinadasa
Girls u 13
Devmini Gallage
Ananya Gamage
Sameera Deen
