Kaya reaches golfing glory

Kaya Daluwatte

By Shamseer Jaleel 

Sri Lanka made golfing history as Kaya Daluwatte stormed to victory at the 2025 Thai Singha Junior Championship 2025 becoming the first-ever Sri Lankan to win an international junior golf title.
The tournament took place at Singha Park Golf Club and was shortened by one round due to heavy rain, but that didn’t stop Kaya from producing a superb three-under-par (−3) final round to secure a two-shot victory over Japan’s Rinka Nakayama. 
Her consistent performance rounds of 71, 75 and 69 gave her a winning total of 215 (−1), ahead of Nakayama’s 217 (+1).
Kaya’s calm focus and shot precision under pressure reflected her growing maturity and mental toughness. This victory marks not just a personal triumph but a historic milestone for Sri Lankan golf, signifying the nation’s arrival on the international junior stage. She was also the first to win a medal at the Asian Youth Games which took place in Bahrain a week earlier as she picked up a Bronze.
In the boys’ division, Reshan  Algama once again demonstrated his consistency and class, finishing eighth overall with a total score of 221 (+5) a remarkable result against some of Asia’s best junior golfers. Algama’s final round of three-under-par (−3) was among the best of the tournament. 
Despite the setback on the first day, he bounced back strongly to reinforce his reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most promising young golfers, consistently performing at the top level in international events. The boys’ event was won by Nithhidpong Srichatphirun of Thailand.
Other Sri Lankan participants also made their mark, with Adhithya Weerasinghe finishing 14th on 233, and Thejas Rathiskanth securing 21st place with 245. Both players displayed commendable skill and determination in a field stacked with top regional talent.
Thailand won the boys’ team event in the 12-team event where Sri Lanka ended sixth with Adhithya and Reshan pairing off. In the girls team event Japan triumphed with Thailand ending second and Vietnam in the third slot.