Badminton faces big financial problems finding sponsors – SLB president | Daily News

Badminton faces big financial problems finding sponsors – SLB president

The Sri Lankan under 21 badminton team after their  arrival at the Katunayake Airport yesterday. Badminton president Nishantha Jayasinghe, coach Dhanushka Nilanga and manager K.G.I. Upendra are also present.
The Sri Lankan under 21 badminton team after their arrival at the Katunayake Airport yesterday. Badminton president Nishantha Jayasinghe, coach Dhanushka Nilanga and manager K.G.I. Upendra are also present.

“We are very happy to see our young shuttlers perform at the recently concluded South Asian under 21 badminton championships in Nepal,” said Sri Lanka Badminton president Nishantha Jayasinghe at the Katunayake Airport yesterday.

Junior shuttlers who returned with three bronze medals and two silver medals yesterday morning and were welcomed by the Badminton chief and the other officials at the airport.

Jayasinghe further said, “We have selected eight shuttlers for this Nepal tour and they won bronze medal at the team event, while two silver and a bronze medal was won in the individual events. This is very good exposure for these juniors. Actually we wanted to promote the players from the junior level and give them this type of International tours. Those days a few players had the opportunity to go on this type of foreign tours. They got all the opportunities and never gave a chance to the others. I wanted to change this system. If we select the same players how can we upgrade the standard of badminton in the country?”

Ranthushka Sasindu who became men’s singles runner-up at the National championships performed very well on the Nepal tour winning two silver medals. He won the medals in the men’s singles and partnered by Dilmi Dias the mixed doubles. In addition Hasini Ambalangodage won the women’s singles bronze medal. Earlier Hasini had won the gold at the recently concluded Youth Olympic Games. Chamath Dias and Chirath Illeperuma won the men’s doubles bronze medal.

“These players are our future,” said the badminton chief. Actually we have difficulties to find the money for these types of tours. Sometimes the Sports Ministry has come forward to assist us but most of the time our players have to pocket out their own expenses and the balance money is met by Sri Lanka Badminton.

“We face a big financial problem and it is very difficult to find sponsors for this type of tours,” said the badminton chief.

 


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