Another quest for gold medal winning, history-seeking Dumindu Abeywickrama

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka’s rising badminton player Dumindu Abeywickrama is on a golden mission again — this time at the XIV Santo Domingo Open 2025 in the Dominican Republic. 
The 25-year-old shuttler, currently ranked 115th in the BWF men’s Singles, will begin his campaign on October 15, eyeing his second gold medal in just two months on the Latin American circuit.
Abeywickrama has been on a remarkable international run since September, clinching one gold, two silvers and a bronze from four back-to-back tournaments across Latin America. His stellar performances have not only lifted his global ranking but also placed Sri Lanka’s name firmly on the badminton world map.
His crowning moment came at the Guatemala International Challenge 2025 (Sept 30–Oct 5), where he stormed to gold with five consecutive victories, defeating higher-ranked players including Mark Shelley (USA, BWF 106) in straight sets, 21–18, 21–13. On his way to the title, he also outclassed Aria Dinata (Croatia, BWF 68) in the semis and Adriano Viale (Peru, BWF 105) in the quarters — a display of grit and world-class consistency.
Earlier in the circuit Abeywickrama won silver medals in Costa Rica and Colombia, showing exceptional resilience against top-ranked opponents such as USA’s Enrico Asuncion and Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon (BWF 77). His journey began with a bronze at the Guatemala Future Series, marking a breakout moment for Sri Lankan badminton on foreign soil.
A proud Royal College, Abeywickrama now trains in Seattle, USA under veteran coach Rohith Halase Gowda, with strategic guidance from Sri Lanka national coach Yukthi Perera under the Sri Lanka Badminton Development Programme.