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Friday Dec 13, 2024
Tuesday, 24 January 2017 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Expert financial planner NDB Wealth came forward last year to promote Junior Golf, sponsoring the 2016 Sri Lanka National Junior Golf Rankings in support of Sri Lanka Golf.
The rankings for the year concluded with the completion of the Sri Lanka Junior Open 2016, Prima Regional Junior Opens in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya and the qualifying round of the Rukmini Kodagoda Match Play Championship, the designated tournaments held during the calendar year.
With the aim of encouraging more young golfing talent to emerge, the Sri Lanka Golf Union developed a comprehensive ranking system based on eight Stroke Play Rounds of Golf played in designated tournaments during a calendar year.
Of the designated rounds in each tournament, a minimum of five rounds have to be carded in order to be eligible for national rankings. Junior Golfers have been ranked accordingly, into four age categories ranging from below nine years (Copper Division) and 10-11 years (Bronze Division), to 12-14 years old (Silver Division) and 15-17 years old (Gold Division).
NDB Wealth’s sponsorship also entailed equipment sponsorship and coaching programs for select ranked Junior Golfers, enabling their talent to be nurtured further.
SLGU and NDB Wealth officials with top ranked Junior Golfers. From Left to Right: Laknada De Mel (Head of Private Wealth Management, NDB Wealth), Ruwan Perera (COO, NDB Wealth), Shanal Binuksha (Ranked 1st in Copper 9 years and under Division), Prabodha Samarasekera (CEO, NDB Wealth), Nirekh Tejwani (Ranked 1st in Bronze 10-11 Years Division), Vinodh Weerasinghe (Ranked 1st in Gold 15-17 Years Division), Priath Fernando (President, SLGU) and Jonny De Saram (Vice President, SLGU).
“NDB Wealth is pleased to continue its support of the very important National Junior Golf Rankings, which undoubtedly helps advance the skill levels of young golfers in Sri Lanka. We feel that excellence in golf and exemplary money management share similar attributes, whether it be focus, precision, discipline and overall strategy, which are all essential for success in these respective fields and also success in life,” said Prabodha Samarasekera, Chief Executive Officer of NDB Wealth.
The Sri Lanka Golf Union (SLGU), the governing body for golf in Sri Lanka, has developed a long term strategy and is now focused on promoting Junior Golf in the country to harness talent for national representation in the future. One such initiative has been to develop a system of National Ranking for Junior Golfers who are growing in numbers with the popularity of the sport in the country. This initiative fosters young golfers to strive for consistent performance throughout the year, thus improving one’s standard.
“Expert financial planner NDB Wealth has readily extended its support to Sri Lanka Junior Golf with a commitment to sponsor the new season as well, which will kick start in the new calendar year 2017,” said Niloo Jayatilake, Chairperson – Junior Subcommittee, Sri Lanka Golf Union. She added, “We are happy to welcome NDB Wealth on board for 2017, to support the sport at the national level going forward, and to take Sri Lankan sport to the international arena of excellence in golf.”
