Thai girl and Korean boy win junior golf in Colombo

By Shamseer Jaleel

Thailand’s Achiraya Sriwong and South Korea’s Jeyi Son stamped their class with commanding victories in the girls’ and boys’ championships respectively at the 2026 APGC Junior Golf Championship, which concluded at the Royal Colombo Golf Club after three days of thrilling competition.

Achiraya saved her best for the final day, firing a brilliant six-under-par round to finish with a winning aggregate of 204 and comfortably lift the girls’ title. The Thai youngster produced a composed and clinical display through to the championship before pulling away from the field with a sparkling final-round performance.

Sri Lanka’s Kaya Daluwatte emerged as the country’s top performer in the girls’ competition, finishing tied for fourth with a creditable total of 210 after three consistent rounds against one of the strongest junior fields in the Asia-Pacific region. After an ordinary first day she bounced back strongly to tie on number four.

In the boys’ championship, South Korea’s rising star Jeyi Son was in a class of his own, returning a superb 10-under-par aggregate to secure the title in emphatic fashion. Sri Lanka’s Adithya Weerasinghe also impressed, finishing ninth overall on two-over par after another solid international outing.

India claimed the boys’ Team championship following a consistent display throughout the tournament. Sri Lanka’s pairing of Adithya Weerasinghe and Lavidu Premarathna ended in ninth place among the 17 participating teams.

Thailand celebrated further success by winning the girls’ Team championship, while Sri Lanka’s Kaya Daluwatte and Sithara Lorance finished ninth in the 13-team event.

South Korea completed a memorable championship by capturing the Mixed Team title. The Sri Lankan combination of Lavidu Premarathna and Kaya Daluwatte secured eighth place among the 10 competing teams.

The championship attracted more than 150 of the region’s leading junior golfers, reaffirming its status as one of the premier events on the Asia-Pacific junior golf calendar. The tournament also provided Sri Lanka’s young golfers with valuable exposure against the continent’s best emerging talent.

The Sri Lankan team was coached by Mithun Perera and managed by Tharanga Gunasekera, with the hosts producing several encouraging performances for the future of the sport.