Matheesha and Lidiya crowned champs at Sri Lanka Badminton Novices in Ratnapura

MATHEESHA Perera and Lidiya Fonseka were crowned champions at the Sri Lanka Badminton Novices Championship 2025 which concluded on Thursday 2 October at the Deshabandhu Lt. Col. W. Wimaladasa Indoor Stadium in Kuruwita, Ratnapura.

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While Matheesha pocketed the Men's Open Singles til, Lidiya was crowned the Women's Open Singles Champion, as she claimed a double after winning the Gir/s Under-17 Singles tile.

Unseeded Matheesha easily overcame third seed Suresh in the Men's Open Singles final, following a clean run up to the final. He was intially troubled by Suresh in the fistset, but Matheesha remained composed to claim the first set 21/14, and continued his form to record a 21/7 wininthe second set to seal the Men's Open Singles title.

Lidiya easily overcame Shehani Wijenayake in straight sets with scores of 21/8 and 21/10 to claim her double ttl at the SLB Novices Championship 2025, emerging as one ofthe top performers ofthe five-day event. Subair Aathil teamed up with S.M. Imzan to beat Ashen Imalka and Aditya Kalharaiin straight sets to emerge Men's Open Doubles champion, while Devindra Fernando paired up with Sandali Geekiyanage to overcome Omindu Bimsara and Sandumi Amaya in straight sets, in an otherwise exciting final to claim the Mixed Open Doubles title.

NishadiThenushika accounted fora double crown in the Under-19 category, winning the Girl's Singles as wel as the Girls Doubles titles, while Lafeer Ansaf recorded a straight win to overpower Yagama Gimhana in straight sets to win the Boy's Singles ttl. Despite losing the Singles final, Gimhana teamed up with Irun Shakya to record a straight win against Omira Dinsara and Tharuka Raji, and claim the Boys’ U-19 Doubles title, Nishadi beat Thashara Jayaratne in the Gis U-19 Singles in straight sets, and later teamed up with her opponent torecord a comfortable straight win on their way to ear the Girls'U-19 Doubles ile.