OKI International School excels in Badminton

OKI International School, Wattala, a young school started to play Badminton since 2011 and has had come a long way so far in the Badminton. Having started to play the game with only about 20 students, but they have achieved numerous accolades in schools badminton, with lot of students joining the badminton squad of the school upto year 2014.

In addition to their practices at school badminton courts, they usually hire the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium Badminton Courts for weekly practices. Observing the satisfactory turnout at practices, the management decided to play the game in a broader way. At that point the school authorities decided to take a full time coach.

As a result of that, Mahesha Ekanayake was entrusted to carry on with the task in 2011. He is a Badminton World Federation Certified Professional Coach. His assistant coach is Vijitha Hettiarachchi.

Ekanayake started the job on the correct foot, firstly by grooming these youngsters at root level and made them to be aware of the rules of the game, the technique and the fundamentals of playing.

With the guidance from the coach and the support from the school management authorities, OKI shuttlers stepped into schools competitive badminton in year 2012. Competing at the their first appearance in the All-Island Under 12 Badminton Team championship, to the amazement of everyone this new school from Wattala overcame many leading schools in the tourney and emerged runners up in ‘E’ division. With this auspicious start. There were no stopping of the OKI shuttlers as month by month they showed a vast improvement in every age group in the schools badminton circle.

In the same year, in the Gampaha District Under 11 Junior Nationals, Janith Sandresh emerged champ and in the Under 11 Boys singles, Dulaksha Rajapaksha became the second runner-up while Ravichandran Aishwaryaa ended as second runner-up in the Girls Under 11 Singles.

Still they are going strongly in the journey they started in year 2012 and has proved that the OKI shuttlers are a force to be reckoned in schools badminton. Four OKI shuttlers Ravichandran Aishwaryaa, Manthuka Rupathunga, Rukshan Babu and Chavindu Dissanayake are sure to go a long way as badminton players with their fine are of playing the game and are sure to done the national blazer in years to come.

Performances of OKI Badminton Team:

In year 2012

OKI emerged Runners up ‘E’ Division in All Island Inter Schools Under 12 Badminton team Championship.

OKI emerged Runners up ‘C’ Division in All Island Inter Schools Under 15 doubles Badminton team Championship.

Junior National – Gampaha District Tournament

Under 11 boys singles – District champion – Janith Sandresh
Under 11 boys singles – District 3rd place – Dulaksha Rajapaksha
Under 11 girls singles – District 3rd place – Ravichandran Aishwaryaa
Under 15 boys doubles – District 3rd place – Induka Pulasthi and Sirimevan Peiris

In year 2013

OKI emerged Champions ‘E’ Division in All Island Inter Schools Under 16 Badminton team Championship.

OKI emerged 3rd place in Inter International Schools under 13 girls team championship.

OKI emerged 4th place in Inter International Schools under 17 boys team championship.

In year 2014

OKI emerged Champions ‘D’ Division in All Island Inter Schools Under 16 Badminton team Championship.

OKI emerged 2nd Runners up ‘C’ Division in All Island Inter Schools Under 15 doubles Badminton team Championship.

OKI emerged 3rd place in Inter International Schools under 19 boys team championship.

Under 13 girls singles – National Runners up – Ravichandran Aishwaryaa in 62nd National Badminton Championship.

Under 11 boys singles – National Quarter finalist – Manthuka Rupathunga in 62nd National Badminton Championship.

Under 15 boys doubles 2nd runners up – Chavindu Dissanayake & Rukshan babu in Uva province All Island open Badminton Championship.

Under 11 boys singles quarter finalist – Lithika Jayasinghe in Uva province all Island open Badminton Championship.

Under 11 boys singles quarter finalist – Manthuka Rupathunga in Central Province All Island open Badminton Championship.

Under 11 girls singles quarter finalist – Ravishiya Jayaweera in Central Province All Island open Badminton Championship.

Under 11 boys singles quarter finalist – Dakshina Daluwatta in North Central Province All Island open Badminton Championship.

Under 11 boys singles – Junior National 2nd runners up – Manthuka Rupathunga in Junior National Badminton Championship.

Junior National – Gampaha District Tournament

Under 15 boys singles Champion – Rukshan Babu

Under 15 boys doubles Champion – Rukshan Babu and Chavindu Dissanayake

OKI selected as one of best four teams in ‘C’ Division in All Island Inter Schools Under 13 boys doubles Badminton team Championship. (Sri Lanka schools association selected only best our teams in this tournament – Champion and Runners up were not selected.)

OKI selected as one of best four teams in ‘C’ Division in All Island Inter Schools Under 13 girls doubles Badminton team Championship. (Sri Lanka schools association selected only best our teams in this tournament – Champion & Runners up were not selected.)

Junior Nationals Under 12 Gampaha District champ – Janith Sandesh
Under 11 boys singles 3rd Place – Ravichandran Aishwarya
2013 – All Island Inter Schools Badminton Team Championship Boys

E’ Division – Champs

North Central Province Open Badminton Championship Under 13 Boys Singles Quarterfinalists

2014 – 62nd National Championship conducted by SLBA Under 13 Girls Singles runner-up Ravichandran Aishwarya

Under 11 boys singles quarter finalist – Manthuka Rupatunga

Junior National Championship: Boys Under 11 quarter finalist – Manthuka Rupatunga

Uva Province All Island Open Badminton Championship – Under 15 Boys Doubles 2nd runner up -Chavindu Dissanayake and Rukshan Babu

Under 11 Boys Singles quarter finalist – Lithika Jayasinghe

Gampaha District Championship – Boys Under 15 singles – Champion: Rukshan Babu

Doubles Champs: Rukshan Babu and Chaminda Dissanayake

Central Province Badminton Championship – Under 11 Boys Singles: quarter finalist Manthika Rupathunga

Under 13 Girls Singles: quarter finalist Ravishiya Jayaweera
All Island Under 16 Inter School Championship: OKI emerged Champions
Under 13 Girls Singles – quarter finalist Ravisha Jayaweera

All Island Inter Schools Under 15 Doubles Team Championship ‘C’ Division second runner up.