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| Sunday, 6 January 2002 |
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The brat who 'cut' squash classes now champ by Leslie Fernando Who could have imagined that the girl who skipped her squash lessons would one day become the ladies National Squash Champion? When Kushani Daluwatte, 5' 5" tall, attractive and affable won the women's Open Squash National Championships on December 22 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium squash courts, at 21 she became the youngest to do so. Indeed Kushani has come a long way since she first swung a racquet somewhat reluctantly. Employed as an executive at the Tea Department of John Keells Limited, Kushani took the national title defeating Tehani Guruge by 3 sets to 2 in a thrilling final where she was stretched by a determined Tehani. The final score line read 9-7, 9-0, 2-9, 0-9, 10-8. Reflecting on her career, Kushani says it was all by chance she took to squash. "Badminton was my first love. It was really my elder sister Lalanthi who was first interested in squash. That's how I was drawn to it," reminisced Kushani. But it was not easy for Kushani to give up badminton which 'was my life'. "I continued to play badminton regularly while skipping squash lessons until I discovered that I had a spectacular skill for squash. I was only 10 years then," recalled Kushani fondly. Before long it was a champion in the making. From captain of her school under-10 badminton team at Vishaka Vidyalaya, her talent earned Kushani the same elevation of the under-10 squash team. From there on it was a story of success all the way. Blossoming to national and international heights. She is the only squash player who holds all the junior national titles which she has won continually. Kushani started playing squash at the tender age of 10 years and won the Junior Nationals under-11 tournament title. In 1990, after her junior title she took more interest in the game. She won the under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-19 junior national titles respectively. Kushani first hit the headlines when she won the Women's Open Championships when she was 18 years at the OSC Open Championships. She also bagged a good double winning the under-19 title. She continued her success with a lot of hard work and devotion towards the game sandwiched with regular training. Kushani had the honour of winning the Air Force Open (Golden Jubilee) women's title, Le Kandyan Squash Tournament, 25th Anniversary Squash Federation Women's Championships title and recently the National Women's title. Her big moment arrived in 1998 when she was selected to represent Sri Lanka at the Junior Championships against Malaysia. This experience was to stand her in good stead for the future. She has represented Sri Lanka in both junior and senior championships toured Hong Kong twice and India twice. She also captained the Sri Lanka Junior team twice to Malaysia and India. Kushani is ever grateful to her late father Brigadier Pinsiri Daluwatte. It was my father who supported me right throughout and guided me to become what I am," said Kushani with a touch of nostalgia. She said she lost in the semi-finals of the Otter AC Open Championships for the first time after she became ranked number one player because the tournament was held 'one month after my father passed away and I could not make up my mind to practise at all. But in her grief she was motivated by her mother, sister, relatives and close friends. "They told me I had to come back and prove my class. That I had to do it for my 'thathi' (father)." So she proved it to her late father, and to her mother 'who were always behind me at practices, matches and even at foreign tournaments to encourage me'. She hopes that my 'thathi' is watching me from wherever he is now and is happy to see that his little girl is the National Champion today. She is also ever thankful to persons who trained her to achieve success - mainly Yasmin Zarook, a former national champion and S. Deen of the Sri Lanka Army. Kushani also had a special word of thanks for Director of John Keells and the Directors of the company's Tea Department for their excellent support. Kushani's proud mother, a keen sportswoman during her day says of her daughter with a smile, "Kushani was too lazy. But the challenge of squash has done wonders for her. She is no longer the little brat who absent mindedly walked right into a shopping window looking at chocolates and sweets!! Says Kushani of the future, "I cannot afford to relax after reaching the pinnacle of success. I know I have to maintain standards if I'm to stay at the top. And its not going to be easy." Here's a girl dedicated as they come who thinks squash, breathes squash and even dreams squash. She once dreamt that the squash ball had turned into a pigeon and flown away from the closed court, says her mother. If that was a nightmare, being the queen of Sri Lanka squash is certainty a dream come true. |
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