Chandrika's string of victories prove SLBA officials wrong

by Lal Gunesekera

BADMINTON: Hailing from Anuradhapura in the North Central Province of the country, 33-year-old Chandrika de Silva has a proud record at the National Badminton Championships. She has won the women's singles title on 10 occasions (in 2003 equalled Chandrika Mallawaratchi's record of seven consecutive wins), the women's doubles title 13 times and the mixed doubles on eight occasions. She has won the coveted triple crown on five occasions too.

However, she is a disillusioned player as she has not been given her due place by the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA). Speaking to the Sunday Observer soon after her triumph at last week's National Championships, Chandrika, said that a Malaysian coach was in Sri Lanka about a month back and requested that she be sent for more international tournaments and also for training abroad.

However, the SLBA, seems not to heed this (and other) requests stating that she is "too old". She was even "thrown out" of the national pool too for this reason. This is certainly not a handicap, as there are players with children who have won medals at Olympic level.

The outspoken Chandrika said that she is ranked No. 69 with Thilini Jayasinghe in the world rankings in the women's doubles and about 140 in the women's singles too, and is making every attempt to qualify to play in the Beijing Olympics next year (2008). She has been ranked No. 1 in Sri Lanka on numerous occasions.

Having started her shuttle career at the Anuradhapura Convent in 1987 at the age of 12 years, Chandrika de Silva, had a proud record even at the Junior National Championships where she won the girl's singles titles from the under-13 age group to under-19 level when she won the triple crown too. She was initially coached by Wimalaratne at school level and her interest in the sport started when her two elder sisters excelled in the racquet game. Her younger brother too did well at school level.

Chandrika first represented the country as an GCE Ordinary Level student at the Uber Cup to 1990 held in Hong Kong and thereafter has been playing in this event. As a 15-year-old girl, she went on a junior tour to Jakarta, Indonesia. She has also played at the South Asian Games in Pakistan and Sri Lanka where she won three gold medals and a silver in the team events as well as one silver and three bronze medals in individual events. She reached the last 16 at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England and at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia reached the best eight in the team event. She has also represented her country at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

Then on the Asian Circuit, Chandrika, won the singles title at the Bangladesh Open in 2003 where she was runner-up in the doubles. She won the triple crown in the Nepal Open in 2005 and was both runner-up in the singles and doubles at the Iran Open earlier this year (2007).Then she won the doubles at the Iran Open earlier this year (2007) where she was the runner-up in the singles. At the Jordan Open also this year (2007), Chandrika, won the mixed doubles title.

Chandrika is employed at the Seylan Bank (Central Clearing Department, Fort) as an Executive Officer II. She joined the Bank in December 1996 as a Banking Assistant. She is ever grateful to its CEO, Ajitha Pasqual, Tissa Nanayakkara (DGM), Ms. Deeshani Gunaratne (AGM, Personnel) and her Bank Manager, Alfred Gunatilleke, for all their support and granting duty leave etc for national pool practices, tournaments etc and even helped her obtain air tickets when needed.