Sri Lanka dominate South Asia badminton with 17 gold medals

By Susil Premalal 

Sri Lankan badminton players dominated the Asia-South Asia Regional Championship 2025, which concluded in Thimphu, Bhutan yesterday with an impressive haul of 24 medals. 

The tally included a total of 17 gold medals, out of an impressive 15 finals appearances, six silver medals, following five all-Sri Lankan finals and four bronze medals. 

The 17 gold medals include the three secured at the Team Events of the Badminton Asia South Asia Regional Championship on the first three days, and 14 won at the Individual Events held from August 18th to 22nd. 

The remaining gold medal was claimed by Nepal, who also won an impressive tally of seven silver medals and 10 bronze medals while Pakistan secured two silver medals and seven bronze medals. Hosts Bhutan settled in at overall fourth place with nine bronze medals. 

Among the top achievers for Sri Lanka were Olympian Viren Nettasinghe, Ranithma Liyanage, Nethmi Ratnayake and Nithini Guruge, who bagged three gold medals apiece. Viren won gold medals in the Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Ranithma equally impressed claiming the gold medals in the Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles, partnered with Viren. 

Viren overcame fellow countryman Dumindu Abeywickrama in the Men’s Singles, who both later paired up to defeat Prince Dahal and Kshitiz Khanal of Nepal to claim the Men’s Doubles gold. 

Ranithma had an easy passage in the Women’s Singles final against fellow compatriot Rashmi Mudalige, before paring up to hand Nepali duo Rasila Maharian and Ayushma Nepal a straight defeat to claim the Women’s Doubles gold.

Viren and Ranithma teamed up to thrash Muhammad Adnan and Ammarah Ishtiaq of Pakistan and complete their hat-tricks with the Mixed Doubles gold. 

Nethmi Ratnayake impressed with a hat-trick of gold medals in the Under-17 category, winning the Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles while Kenneth Aruggoda and Senuth Perera secured two gold medals each. Nethmi beat team mate Vishwanie Wanniarachchi in the Women’s Singles, with whom she secured her second gold medal winning the Women’s Doubles, and partnered with Kenneth Aruggoda to secure the hat-trick with an easy win in the Mixed Doubles final. 

Kenneth had an ideal opportunity to secure Sri Lanka’s fifth gold medal hat-trick, but his team mate Senuth Perera thwarted a certain comeback in the Men’s Singles, pushing him for the silver medal. Vishwanie, who was defeated by Nethmi in the Women’s Singles, secured a gold medal in the Women’s Doubles.  

Nithini Guruge stood out of the rest in the Under-15 category, winning three gold medals, in the Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. She defeated team mate Limandi Padma Bandara in straight sets in the Women’s Singles and then partnered with her to claim a stunning comeback win in the Women’s Doubles final. She teamed up with Thamindu Fernando to beat Nepal’s Deep Thing and Niva Rai in the Mixed Doubles final. Thamindu won two gold medals, one with his Men’s Singles opponent Ranithu Premarathne and the other with Nithini while Limandi and Ranithu secured a gold and a silver medal each.