The Sri Lanka squash association has selected an eight-member squad to represent mother Sri Lanka to the 20th Asian Individual Championship 2019, will debut in Kula Lumpur Malaysia from the 1st-5th May.
Photo Album : Team Sri Lanka – Asian Individual Squash Championship 2019
Sri Lanka is not new guests for the Asian individual championship arena, having performed in many of its previous versions. The championships will be played in accordance with Regulation M8 of ASF Championship Regulations. Players are seeded by the PSA ranking as of the month of March 2019.
This year the tournament has attracted 78 players from 14 regions include Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, China, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar and Thailand to participate in the Men’s Women’s events
The Championships will be played out in single knockout format. For the Main Draw, there will be no play-off for 3rd position or any other position. 3rd place trophy will be presented to both losing semi-finalists of Main Draw.
The team consists with well experienced and young talent 8 players in Sri Lanka Squash from the Men’s and Women’s category.
Men’s Team
- Gihan Swaris
Skipper of the team Men’s team, Gihan Swaris is the most experience campaigner in the side. He is currently the most experienced and the most senior national squash player in the country who has captained both junior and senior teams over the past 20+ years of representing the national flag internationally. He captained the St Thomas College, Mount Lavinia and has achieved the highest award of a Thomian Bluesman in St Thomas Colours.
He has represented several World Championships, Asian Games & Championships and as well as South Asian Games where he captained the team for Bronze medal in 2016. This is his 12th year of representing the senior squash team for mother Sri Lanka. He is currently working as an HR professional at MAS, certified lecturer in the field of HR and as well as an Asian Squash Federation certified squash coach developing the next generation of players in Sri Lanka whilst playing squash for the national team.
- Mohamed Hakeem
Old boy of D. S. Senanayake College Mohamed Hakeem is currently ranked top six in the national Men’s Open category. He has represented the junior national team from 2012 to 2018 in several Asian championships.
Hakeem has also won several junior national titles including under 17 Champion in 2016 and under 19 Runner-up in 2018.
- Mohamed Ushama
The newest addition to the national team Ushama is currently the top player at Sri Lanka Airforce Squash team. He has won the defence service championship in 2018 and several plate championships in local arena. Ushama has progressed the national ladder of squash in Sri Lanka within 4 years of professional sports career since 2014.
- Druvinka Perera
18-year-old Druvinka Perera is the youngest and the only school boy player in the Men’s Team. He has been in the Senior Team since 2016 and the only Royalist in the Senior Team spanning a period of 7-8 years. He has been representing Sri Lanka Squash since 2011 and this is the fifteenth time he is receiving National Colours. He captained the Royal College Squash Team in 2017 and achieved the highest award of a ‘Crownsman’ at the Royal Colours Awarding Ceremony.
He captained the Sri Lanka Junior Team which performed well to achieve the sixth place at the Asian Junior Team Championship in Pattaya, Thailand in January 2019. He was also the Sri Lanka Boys’ Team leader at the Asian Individual Squash Championship in 2017 in Jordan and 2018 in India.
He achieved an Asian rank of 5th in the under 13 categories in 2013 at the Asian Junior Individuals and was in the top 8 in the under 15 category at the Hong Kong Junior Open 2015 and has won several plate and classic plate events in the Asian Junior super series events. He has represented the Lankan flag in over 20 international tournaments. Druvinka is the Junior National Champion and a third-place finisher in the Men’s Open category at the National Squash Championship 2018.
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Women’s Team
- Fathoum Issadeen
Skipper of the Women’s team Fathoum Issadeen is the top seed in Sri Lanka team. She has won many championships in Sri Lanka over the past few years and has been placed top two positions consecutively. She also represented the country at the Asian Games held in Jakarta in 2018 and also was a member of the Sri Lanka women’s squash team that won the Bronze medal at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahatti with many more junior & senior Asian tournaments owning wealth of experience in the international arena.
Fathoum is an old girl of Holy Family convent and looking forward to playing more PSA (Professional Squash Association) tournaments to achieve a higher world ranking in months to come.
- Yeheni Kurupuu
Yeheni Kuruppu is the newest addition to the national senior women’s team. She is currently a student as Visakha Vidyala and has represented the national junior teams at the Asian Junior squash championships from 2016 to 2018.
She was also awarded the MOST PROMISING JUNIOR GIRLS PLAYERS of the year in 2017 at the junior nationals whilst. she has been placed in the top four at national events in the age groups of under 13, under 15, under 17 & under 19 during past few years.
- Anargi Perera
Anargi aged 13 years and studying at Visakha Vidyalaya is the youngest in the Sri Lanka Squash Team at the 20th Individual Squash Championship 2019. This is the first time Anargi is representing Sri Lanka at the senior level.
She is currently Ranked No. 2 in the Girls’ Under 15 Age Group and has represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Individual Squash Championships in 2015, 2016, 2017 (placed 10th in the U13 category) and 2018.
- Naduni Gunawardane
Capping the Girl’s Team Naduni Gunawardane is the most experience campaigner in the Women’s team. She captained the Visakha Vidyalaya Squash Team in 2012 and 2013. She is also the national Squash Champion in 2015 and Runners up from 2012-2014.
One of the remarkable achievements of Naduni would be the Gold medal at the women’s plate event at the 20th Commonwealth games held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014. She was also a key player of the team which won the bronze medal at the 12th South Asian Games held in Guwahati, India in year 2016. She has also Represented the Sri Lanka National squash team at the 16th,17th& 18th Asian Team Squash Championships and 17th Asian Individual Squash Championship which were held in Kuwait, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei & Pakistan respectively from 2012-2016.
She is member of the Sri Lanka Junior National squash team which participated at the 15th& 16th Asian Junior Team Squash Championships held in Sri Lanka and Korea in 2011 & 2013 and also represented Sri Lanka at the 3rd, 18th& 29th Asian Junior Individual Squash Championship held in Sri Lanka in year 2010 and Jordan in both year 2011 & 2013.
Naduni is currently a final year Undergraduate of University of Sri Jayewardenepura. She is also an Asian Squash Federation and Sri Lanka Squash Federation Certified and qualified Level One Squash coach and currently the coach of Visakha Vidyalaya Junior Squash team.
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