The rising tennis talents Buvindu Jayawardhane of Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala; Ashlin de Silva of St. Peter’s College; Lithum Jayabandu of Ananda College; and Nuren Welivita of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, emerged victorious in their respective age-group finals at the SLTA-YETI Hard Court Championship 2025, organised by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) at the SLTA Courts, Colombo 07.
Boys’ Under-18 Finals
One of the future prospects of Sri Lankan tennis, Lithum Jayabandu of Ananda College, dominated the final against the outstation player Shennon Anderson of Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala. Jayabandu won both the 1st and 2nd sets 06-01 and 06-01, without allowing his opponent to settle.
In the semifinals, Shennon Anderson suffered a surprising 02-06 defeat in the first set against Ranida Ranaweera of Royal College. However, the lad from Kurunegala recovered well and came back strongly in the 2nd and 3rd sets, winning 06-04 and 06-03 to book his place in the U18 final. In the other semifinal, Lithum Jayabandu defeated Kevin Fernando of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa, in straight sets (06-01, 06-02) with technically sound strokes and strong court coverage.
Boys’ Under-16 Finals
St. Peter’s College tennis star Ashlin de Silva delivered a dominant performance in the final against his schoolmate Mayooran Kubheran, securing the championship. Although Mayooran offered strong resistance during the first set, Silva’s superior technique and consistency saw him take control by the latter part of the first set and throughout the second. He sealed the title with straight-set victories of 06-04 and 06-01. Both finalists, from St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya, train under veteran coach Dinith Pathiraja.
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In the first semifinal, Ashlin de Silva outclassed Neven Kannangara of St. Joseph’s College. In the other semifinal, the eventual runner-up, Mayooran Kubheran, posted an important victory over Shennon Anderson of Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala.
A few months earlier, Ashlin showcased his exceptional skill at the 110th Vision Care Colombo Championships 2025, where he clinched a hat-trick of titles across singles and doubles in the Under-16 and Under-18 categories.
Boys’ Under-14 Finals
Buvindu Jayawardhane of Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, stunned the Colombo tennis fraternity in the U14 singles final, defeating Nuren Welivita of St. Joseph’s College with straight-set victories (06-03, 06-02). Jayawardhane stamped his authority with precise groundstrokes and a dominant serve. He was the only outstation player to clinch a title at the event, establishing himself as one of Sri Lanka’s brightest emerging talents.
In the first semifinal, Buvindu Jayawardhane produced an impressive display to defeat Dehan Wickramasinghe of Royal College, Colombo. In the second semifinal, the eventual runner-up, Nuren Welivita, comfortably overcame Chirath Subhasinghe of Ashoka College, Colombo.
Boys’ Under-12 Finals
St. Joseph’s College junior ace Nuren Welivita also featured in the Under-12 singles segment, where he faced Zacharia Akbar of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, in the final. Having reached his second final of the tournament, Welivita remained composed and outclassed his opponent in straight sets (06-01, 06-03). Despite being early in his career, he displayed powerful strokes and excellent court coverage, which proved decisive in the final.
In the semifinals, Nuren Welivita defeated his schoolmate Sudath Fernando, while Zacharia Akbar easily overcame Lian Thennakoon of St. Peter’s College.
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