Ravindu Laksiri enters squash hall of fame

Champions Ravindu Laksiri and Chanithma Sinali

By Susil Premalal

Veteran squash player Ravindu Laksiri created history by winning his 13th consecutive national title at the 45th National Senior Squash Championship, setting a new milestone in Sri Lanka squash history at the Air Force Sports Complex, Ratmalana.

Ravindu, who first claimed the national crown in 2013, has remained unbeaten ever since, winning the title every year for over a decade. His achievement equals the overall record of former great Saman Thilakaratne, who also won the national title 13 times, though only six of those were consecutive.

In the men’s Open final, Ravindu delivered a commanding performance to defeat Shamil Wakeel in straight sets 3–0, sealing yet another dominant victory. Nevindu Lakmakan secured third place in the men’s Open category.

Meanwhile, Chanithma Sinali emerged victorious in the women’s Open final, recording a convincing 3–0 win over Ranliya Wood. Chanithma claimed her third national title, marking her second consecutive championship. She was first crowned national champion in 2022 and successfully defended her title after winning again last year. Ifra Booso of St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Milagiriya, finished third.

In addition to the Open events, competitions were conducted in Novice and over-35 age categories. In the Novice division, S.S. Seneviratne of the Army won the men’s title, while Lakni Edirisinghe of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University claimed the women’s crown.

In the Plate category, Mohamed Rilwan defeated I. Buddhika of the Navy Sports Club to secure the championship.

Age group events also saw strong performances, with M.A.M. Usham of the Air Force winning the over-35 title. Anura Hewage dominated the over-40 and over-45 categories, winning both titles. Nishantha Chandrakumara triumphed in the over-50 event, while Mevan Rajeev and Mohamed Asmi claimed victories in the over-55 and over-60 categories respectively.

The championship highlighted both elite dominance and depth across generations, underlining the continued growth of squash in Sri Lanka.