Rasika Ekanayake - moving up the ladder of success in women's golf

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

Thirty-two-year-old Rasika Ekanayake of Victoria Golf and Country Resort, hardly knew what was golf about 12 years ago and she would have seen it in the television but had never the game being played as there was no golf course in Kandy till 1999.

In 1999, Rasika Ekanayake just out of school and still a teenager and a resident of nearby village Kithulamada found part time employment as a caddie when the Victoria golf course was opened. She attended Senarathwela Vidyalaya, Digana - a village school which was later to produce a ladies golf champion.

As a caddie, the opportunities were less to play the game of golf except when requested. But she soon picked up the game whenever the opportunities arose.

She could not afford to buy the golf clubs and it is with the used golf clubs presented to her by golfers and others leaving the country that she played.

Though belonging to the under privileged class, her progress in this sport was remarkable. She won many championship titles in Colombo, Victoria and Nuwara Eliya and she hardly knows the trophies she had won. She takes part in the competitions and wins and the matter ends there and not knowing the trophies she had won and she is not accustomed to the names of the trophies which mostly sounds Western.

She has won some of the events worked off concurrently with the Sri Lanka Amateur golf championship, along with her friend Sandhya Kumari also a caddie from Victoria.

Two years ago she won the Mackwoods Ladies Stroke play Gold championship beating some of the top lady golfers in Sri Lanka played at Victoria.

This year she repeated her success by winning this championship for the second time after an excruciating contest with that seasoned golfer, Suwen Selvaratnam who has stamped her class in the local golfing.

When the third and final round ended, Rasika and Suwen had equal scores and a 'play off' was ordered to break the deadlock. When they came up to the last hole, the scores were still equal but Rasika put the issue beyond doubt with a rare 'birdie' in the last hole to canter home in a thriller, Suwen Selvartnam was the first to congratulate this caddie expressing grace in defeat.Rasika Ekanayake has been playing golf on and off but has made excellent progress and her handicap has come down to 11. She is full of praise to the Management of Victoria Golf and Country Resort for giving her the opportunity to play. She said that the present General Manager Errol Johnston is very helpful so is the Marketing Manager Ms. Dhanushika Medagoda and others. Another top golfer from Colombo Usha de Silva has been helping her in numerous ways including accommodation in Colombo and paying of the entry fees etc.

With more playing opportunities in competitions, her aim is to further scale down her handicap and play in international competitions to bring honour to her motherland.

This is the success story of a village girl who excelled in a elite sport and hardly knows the names of trophies she had won. Who knows she may occupy the number one spot in Sri Lanka if provided with the opportunities and the right guidance.