Six countries at SAARC Carrom Championships in Panadura
 

by Leslie Fernando

Slicers from India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal together with their counterparts from Sri Lanka will compete at the 10th SAARC Carrom Championships to be conducted by the Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka to be held from August 13 to 15 at the White Heaven Hotel, Panadura.

"All five countries have accepted our invitation to play at the championships", said Langley Mathiasz, Secretary Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka.

The local players will be selected to the training pool on completion of the Grand Slam Tournament to be held from May 27 to 29 at the Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka headquarters.

According to Mathiasz, Indian players emerged champions while Sri Lanka were runners-up at the last championships held in Maldives in 2004.

Indian men and women 'slicers' proved their class to become overall champions in both sections. Mathiasz said that there is a great improvement of women slicers participation in the CFSL conducted tournaments and new players are emerging and they could offer stiff competition to Indian players.

Nayana and Chamil win national titles

Mother Nayana Wickremasinghe and son Chamil Cooray created history by winning the women's singles and men's singles titles respectively at the 38th National Carrom Championships concluded last Sunday at the Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka Headquarters at Reid Avenue, Colombo 7.

Nayana became national women's singles champion for the first time defeating Yasika Rahubadda in the final...24-25, 25-16, 25-11. While Chamil took the men's singles title beating D.Nishantha Fernando in the final 25-23, 5-25, 25-23.

In the women's semi-finals, Nayana beat Nadeeshani Rupasinghe 25-22, 25-20 and Yasika beat Amitha Wickremasinghe 21-25, 25-9, 25-12. In the men's semis, Cooray beat Upali Perera 25-3, 25-1 and Nishantha Fernando beat Viraj Fernando 25-13, 19-25, 25-2.