Sri Lanka Badminton pursues professional status for Elite Players

On Oct 18, 2021

Sri Lanka Badminton! have set their sights on a professional course for their Elite athletes, SLB has been in long drawn out talks with the Ministry of Sports (MOS), as well as with the National Olympic Committee (NOC). As luck, would favour the brave, the MOS since Feb 2021 has provided a Tier one sponsorship package for Buwaneka Gunetileke and Sachin Dias, the top doubles combination in Sri Lanka.

SLB has over the last year or so, stepped up its training with full-time training scheme for its elite athletes at the stadium premises. Apart from on-court and physical training, a customized nutrition programme has been introduced to ensure better body composition befitting top athletes.

The Elite Athletes have been paid a stipend to help them meet training and welfare expenses while an overseas international competition schedule is about to get underway in a few days. NOC has now stepped into the breach and secured lucrative sponsorships for two more elite Badminton athletes, Thilini Hendahewa and Ranthushka Karunatilake. Sun Match (Ceylon) Ltd., with their SOORIYA brand of safety matches takes on the welfare of Thilini while CIC Vetcare has picked Ranthushka, both meticulously selected after careful evaluation by NOC marketing consultant, Dr. Rohantha Athukorale.

What is special in this sports sponsorship package is the model chosen by NOC in collaboration with SLB, to provide a personal development module and a hands-on mentoring scheme that will ensure that these athletes are offered the means to explore their full sports potential and also the means to enhance the quality of their personal lives. NOC Chief Suresh Subramaniam and SLB Treasurer Mangala Gamage did the honours signing the two agreements on behalf of the athletes, moderated by Dr. Rohantha.

Thilini Hendahewa was indisposed and was not present but Ranthushka carried the programme for the athletes, heralding a new paradigm for Badminton in Sri Lanka.