Viren, Ranithma Lead 1,500-Strong Field at 73rd National Badminton Championships

By Susil Premalal

Star shuttlers Viren Nettasinghe and Ranithma Liyanage are set to headline the action as more than 1,500 competitors prepare to battle it out at the 73rd National Badminton Championship 2025, scheduled from December 17 to 23 at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Sports Complex in Mount Lavinia.

Organised by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), the prestigious week-long championship will feature the country’s top-ranked players competing across multiple categories. This year’s event marks one of the largest national badminton gatherings ever, underscoring the sport’s rapid local growth.

At the previous edition in 2024, Olympian Viren  and top women’s shuttler Ranithma  dominated, both clinching double crowns. Viren secured the Men’s Open Singles title, while Ranithma triumphed in the Women’s Open Singles. Together, they added another title by winning the Open Mixed Doubles.

In the doubles events, Buwaneka Goonathilake and Jason Homer claimed the Men’s Open Doubles crown, while Varanjana Jayawardena and Rashmi Mudalige captured the Women’s Open Doubles title.

SLB officials expressed pride in the unprecedented enthusiasm among participants, noting that this year’s entry count — 1,525 players — surpasses both the 2024 tally of 1,254 and the 2023 figure of 1,140. They attribute this surge to the federation’s ongoing development programmes that have strengthened the sport’s grassroots and competitive structure.

The championship, offering Rs. 2 million in prize money, will feature a broad spectrum of events:Junior categories: Under-11 to Under-19, Senior categories: Over-30 to Over-70,Combined age groups: 100+, 110+, 120+However, the spotlight will remain on the Open Events — Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles — which traditionally draw the highest level of competition.

The opening ceremony on December 17 will be followed by preliminary rounds, with the Round of 16 and quarter-finals slated for December 19.

Semi-finals, additional quarter-finals, and selected finals will take place on December 21, leading to the grand finale on December 23, followed by the Closing Ceremony to conclude the prestigious national event.