A record number of entries, exceeding 1,000, have been received for the inaugural Age Group Novices Badminton Championship, organised and conducted by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) and its Regional Development Committee. The competition will begin from September 28 and will go on until October 2 at New Saniro Airport Sports Complex, situated at Devolapola in Naiwala, near Gampaha.
However, the organisers have still kept open for new entries, which will close at 3:00pm on September 25, with expectation of conducting the country’s largest badminton competition held in the recent times. The organisers have lined up competitions beginning from the Under-11, Under-13, Under-17 to Under-19 for boys and girls, with the Singles winners of both boys and girls of each category guaranteed with a Tab Computer as the winning prize.
In addition all winners of the Doubles in boys and girls will be presented with a set of branded playing racquets, while the runners-up of Singles and Doubles of both boys and girls categories of all age groups, are set to receive Badminton Equipment Kits as rewards. Shuttlers who reach the semi-finals in both Singles and Doubles of all age groups and categories will be presented with Pen Drives, while the players who reach the quarter-final stage will be presented with branded pairs of socks, with the able sponsorship of Sunquick, McFoil, Mobil, Li Ning, Multilac, United Sports and Prime Group.
The opening ceremony of the inaugural Age Group Novices Badminton Championship will be held on September 28, followed by the preliminary round matches, which will be conducted until September 30. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are set to take place on October 1, followed by the semi-finals, finals, awards presentation and the closing ceremony on October 2.
Sri Lanka Badminton and its Regional Development Committee have introduced the Age Group Novices Badminton Championship with the intention of creating a pathway for school shuttlers to reach the national stage.