Viren and Ranithma defend Open titles at 73rd National Badminton Championship 2025

TITLE holders Viren Nettasinghe and Ranithma Liyanage made a fitting end to their campaigns of the 2025 season by defending the Men's and Women’s Open Singles titles, joined by Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige, who defended the Women's Open Doubles title at the 73rd National Badminton Championship 2025, which concluded at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Sports Complexiin Mount Lavinia on Wednesday (24).

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Three titles the Men's Open Singles, Women’s Open Singles and Women's Open Doubles - were up inthe guard as respective title holders, Olympian Viren Nettasinghe, Ranithma Liyanage and doubles pair Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige were defending their titles earned from last year’s nationals. They defended so fittingly, at the 73rd edition of the Badminton Nationals organised and conducted by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), held at Mount Lavinia for eight consecutive days, the participation of top ranked and leading shuttlers of the country.

Nettasinghe entered the fray of defending his crown with a strategy, as he clinically overcame each of his opponents from the Round of 32, all in straight sets, to reach the final. The country's top Men’s Singles shuttler continued his form against Rasindu Hendahewa in the Men's Open Singles final, to end his inal bout for the year, again in straight sets to defend the title. Viren defeated Rasindu by 21/10 and 21/14to win his second national ttle in style.

Ranithma Liyanage aptly defended her Women’s Open Singles title by recording a comfortable straight win against Rashmi Mudalige in an absorbing final that lasted nearly 45 minutes. Though the title decider stretched way longer than anticipated, Liyanage managed to seal the victory by recording set wins of 21/12 and 21/18 to claim the national title for the second year running.

Fourth seed pair Sanuda Ariyasinghe and Thisath Rupathunga created an upset by toppling top seeds Oshamika Karunarathne and Thulith Palliyaguru ina lengthy final that went down to the wire in the Mens Open Doubles final. Sanuda and Thisath won the first set 21/15, but the top seed pair bounced back to level the game 1-all with a 21/18 win. But the gritty pair of Sanuda and Thisath maintained their composure to overcome the favourites 21/15 in the decider and claim the Men's Open Doubles title.