Sri Lanka’s prolific youth golfer Kaya Daluwatte came up with a magical performance to seal the Girls’ 21 and Under Golf Championship at the Faldo Series European Grand Final concluded recently in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. She is one of the best local female players at the present and she is renowned for breaking the boundaries of golf and inspiring change with her unique skill and unwavering commitment.
Daluwaatte, who featured in the highly competitive girls under 21 segment, came up with an exceptional performance to stamp her the championship. She managed to finish the three rounds with 68, 67 and 67 strokes to win the title 202 (-8) victory.
Until the final round there was a close tussle between Daluwatte and Sweden’s Lova Jansson, where they were tied after two rounds with 135 strokes each. Then Daluwatter continued her brilliance while the champion golfer from Sweden went through a bad patch. Hence Daluwatter secured the first position with a clear gap of seven strokes. Sweden’s Lova Jansson took second place with 209 strokes, while England’s Izzy Hurrion and Germany’s Anastasia Back shared the third place by completing the competition with 214 strokes.
The 17-year-old girl made history a few weeks ago, as she clinched Sri Lanka’s first ever medal at the Asian Youth Games held in Manama, Bahrain. Daluwatte secured a podium finish with just 202 (−14) strokes and 69, 64, and 69 in each round. All of these milestone victories can be considered as a testament for her unique talent and determination. Further her impressive career signals the latest trend in the sport, by highlighting the incredible potential of young women in this traditionally male dominated sector.
Apart from Kaya’s victory, the boys 21 and under segment was clinched by Michael Chuma of Zambia (with 200 (-10) strokes). Chuma started the competition by finishing with a remarkable 61 strokes in the first round. Though he showcased a slight setback in the next couple of rounds, his unmatched rally in the first round sealed him the deal. Further, Ai Goto of Japan (with 198 (-12) strokes) and Alexander Zylla of Australia (with 207 (-3) strokes) won the 16 and under girl’s and boy’s titles respectively.
Sri Lanka’s promising golfer from Colombo International School (CIS), Reshan Akash Algama also featured in the tournament by competing in the boys 21 and under segment. Algama had a good start by finishing 1st and 2nd rounds from just 70 and 68 strokes. But the third and final round went too bad for the Sri Lankan as it spanned across 77 strokes. Hence he had to be satisfied with joint 14th position with 215 (+5) strokes. Algama also made history at the Asian Youth Games 2025 in Bahrain by becoming Sri Lanka’s first-ever male golfer to finish in the Top 10 by clinching the 7th position.
Sri Lanka’s one time Amateur Champion Jevahn Mikel Sathasivam, a student of Asian International School (AIS), represented Sri Lanka in golf at Asian Youth Games 2025 (Bahrain), also competed in the event and failed to progress up to his expectations. He was ranked at 22nd place with 224 (+14) strokes.
