INDORE, India (ePRESS) – Ravindu Laksiri, Sri Lanka’s top squash player, claimed victory in the HCL Squash Tour, a PSA 3K Tournament, held in Indore, India, which concluded last Sunday. This win marks Laksiri’s third title in his PSA Challenger career, having previously reached six finals, with three titles and three runners-up finishes.
Before this tournament, Laksiri had been a finalist in four PSA Challenger Tours, finishing as the runner-up three times. This victory is especially significant as he triumphed over India’s Om Semwal, who reached the final by defeating all the seeded players in the bottom half of the draw.
“It was a huge challenge for me,” said Laksiri. “Playing in front of a large Indian crowd made it difficult to beat an Indian player. It was not an easy task, especially since I had been the runner-up in my last three tournaments in India. This time, I managed to clinch the victory.”
Laksiri’s next competition is another PSA 3K tournament in Chennai, set to take place from June 4-10. Following that, he will participate in the Asian Senior Team Championship in China from June 12-16.
With squash being included in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics for the first time, Laksiri, currently ranked between 130-140 in the world, hopes to break into the top 80 by the end of the year. “I believe if I perform well in international competitions this year, I can reach that target,” said Laksiri, whose career-best world ranking is 120.
“Without a coach in Sri Lanka, I gain valuable experience from playing more international competitions. Training abroad would be very costly, so I focus on increasing my match experience to improve my world ranking.”
Laksiri’s employer, Brandix, sponsors all his tournaments. Along with Laksiri, three other Sri Lankan players—Shamil Wakeel, Nevindu Lakman, and Tuwin Herath—participated in the tournament. Wakeel reached the semi-finals but was defeated by the runner-up. On the girls’ side, National Champion Yeheni Kuruppu made it to the quarterfinals.
