Parakrama Basnayake to give badminton a push-up

by Upananda JAYASUNDERA -Kandy Sports Special Corr.

BADMINTON: Senior Superintendent of Customs - Parakrama Basnayake has been appointed as President of the Badminton Federation of Sri Lanka unanimously at a meeting held at the Ministry of Sports Auditorium.

Parakrama is an all-round sportsman and it has been his parents who have been responsible as they were government servants and when they were transferred, Parakrama too had to pack his bags and move around. He was at Walala A. Ratnayake MMV and there he did volleyball, athletics, football and elle and with sheer dedication he came up to national level in those sports.

He then joined Science College, Matale and Hockey was the sport that Matale fancied and Parakrama played as right extreme for the school as well as Matale District for a number of years.

Being the ever willing sportsman, Parakrama learnt badminton on his own around 16 years ago and so keen was he at the game that he became State Services Veterans Badminton Champion for the last 6 years.

After becoming the President of the Badminton Federation, he has decided to give the sport and push forward. He has arranged matches at Kurunegala (Junior Level - under-11 and under-15) at Nuwara Eliya (under-18). He also intends training badminton coaches in stages - preliminary, 1st, 2nd, middle and the top. Parakrama also intends getting foreign coaches to train the players and he intends starting with a coach from Japan.

Parakrama Basnayake intends working in co-operation with the Ministry of Sports and also be on the look out for sponsors so that the player will be able to forge ahead.