COLOMBO: (ePRESS) – Thirteen-year-old Ifra Shasmin Booso of St. Paul’s Girls’ School Milagiriya and Manula Kareendra of DS Senanayake College shone at the 35th Ritzbury Junior Squash Nationals, a PSA Satellite event, organized by Sri Lanka Squash, which concluded at the Air Force Squash Complex in Ratmalana.
Booso was named the Most Promising Junior Girls Player of the Year, while Kareendra earned the same recognition in the boys’ category.
Ifra Booso also received the prestigious Wing Commander Noel Fernando Challenge Shield for her outstanding performance. Earlier, she won the Under-15 titles in both the Fingara Junior Open and the YETI Junior Open, while finishing runner-up in the Under-17 YETI Junior Championship. At the Ritzbury Nationals, Booso triumphed in Under-15, securing her Under-15 title by defeating PN Wickramasinghe of Anula Vidyalaya. However, in the Under-17, she was runner-up to Ladies’ College’s Adhithi Gunasekara.
Manula Kareendra finished as runner-up in the boys’ Under-15 category, losing to champion Manuth Dassanayake of Gateway College Colombo. DS Senanayake College’s Linuka Silva took third place, while Ruhansa Mendis of Gateway College and Randil Siriwardena of S. Thomas’ College came fourth.
In the Boys’ Under-13 event, Royal College’s Nevan Rupasinghe claimed the title, defeating runner-up Akayne Konara of S. Thomas’ College. Tharuka Karunathilaka and Danuja Jayasinghe secured third and fourth places, respectively.
Chanumi Thebuwana of Gateway College won the Girls’ Under-13 category, with Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya’s Dinithma Mihely taking second place. Methuki Herath of Sirimavo and Navya Ganegoda of Ladies’ College claimed third and fourth positions.
In the Boys’ Under-11, Danuja Jayasinghe of Ananda Shasthralaya Kotte emerged champion, defeating Gateway College’s Ranuk Mendis. Kenol Wickrama of Sumedha College Gampaha and Sudaiq Shiraz of British School in Colombo placed third and fourth.
Nethanya Wickramasinghe of Ladies’ College won the Girls’ Under-11 title, with Livini Jayawardena of Visakha Vidyalaya as runner-up. Third and fourth places went to Thinalee Daswatte and Mithali Silva.
In the Boys’ Under-9 category, DS Senanayake College’s Henula Hirusara was crowned champion, beating Sudaiq Shiraz. Shevon Praveen of Royal College and Jenuka Perusinghe of Mahanama College took third and fourth.
Sayuri de Silva of Ladies’ College claimed the Girls’ Under-9 title, defeating Damsiluni Amarasinghe of Visakha Vidyalaya in the final. Pamudi Muanweera and Siyathi Gunathilaka, both of Visakha, placed third and fourth.
