Sri Lanka dominate Badminton Asia Regional South Asia Championship with 17 gold medals

Sri Lankan shuttlers entirely dominated the Badminton 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 19 to 22 August. The remaining gold medal was claimed by Nepal, who also claimed 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 Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles, while Ranithma equally impressed claiming the gold medals in 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 Keneth 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 Keneth Aruggoda to secure the hat-trick with an easy win in the Mixed Doubles final. Keneth 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, and 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. 

Earlier, on 18 August, Sri Lankan shuttlers delivered a commanding performance in the Team Events of the Badminton Asia South Asia Regional Championship, winning all three age categories – Under-15, Under-17, and Under-23 – to emerge as undisputed champions of the tournament.

The campaign began August 15th with the Under-17 team defeating Pakistan 4-1, followed by the Under-23 side dismantling Bhutan 5-0 on the same day and continuing their dominance the following day, where the Under-23 team beat Pakistan 5-0, while the Under-17s and Under-15s swept Bhutan by the same score line. On the final day of the Team Event, Sri Lanka stamped their authority once again with clean 5-0 wins across all age groups against Nepal to record clean sweeps in all divisions, reaffirming their position as a rising powerhouse in regional badminton. 

Sri Lanka was represented by 12 aspiring and talented shuttlers at the Badminton Asia South Asia Regional Championship organised by the Bhutan Badminton Association under the supervision of Badminton Asia, which set off on 15 August. Athletes from Bangladesh, hosts Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka vied for honours, who competed across three segments – Under-23, Under-17 and Under-15 under Singles and Doubles in both Men and Women and Mixed Doubles. 

The victorious Sri Lankan contingent included a total of 15 representatives, with three officials in addition to the 12 athletes. Among the athletes who brought honour for Sri Lanka were Olympian Viren Nettasinghe, and aspiring women shuttlers Ranithma Liyanage, and Rashmi Mudalige. The Men’s squad also included Thamindu Randula Perera, Ranithu Premaratne, Senuth Sethmina, Keneth Aruggoda and Dumindu Abeywickrama. The six women shuttlers were Rashmi Mudalige, Ranithma Liyanage, Limandi Padma Bandara, Nithini Sasandi Guruge, Vishwani Wanniarachchi and Nethmi Amaya Ratnayake. Hasitha Chanaka assisted the team as the Head Coach while Amanda Lalindra Weerasinghe accompanied as the Manager of both teams with Ms. Hasalika joining the contingent as the Lady Chaperone. 

Results of finals

Men’s Singles: Viren Nettasinghe (SL) beat Dumindu Abeywickrama (SL) 2-1 (21-8, 15-21, 21-17)

Women’s Singles: Ranithma Liyanage (SL) beat Rashmi Mudalige (SL) 2-0 (21/9, 21/10)

Men’s Doubles: Viren Nettasinghe/Dumindu Abeywickrama (SL) beat Prince Dahal/Kshitiz Khanal (Nep) 2-0 (21/12, 21/11)

Women’s Doubles: Ranithma Liyanage/Rashmi Mudalige (SL) beat Rasila Maharian/Ayushma Nepal (Nep) 2-0 (21/13, 21/5)

Mixed Doubles: Viren Nettasinghe/Ranithma Liyanage (SL) beat Muhammad Adnan/Ammarah Ishtiaq (Pak) 2-0 (21/8, 21/12)

Men’s Under-17 Singles: Senuth Perera (SL) beat Keneth Aruggoda (SL) 2-0 (21/8, 23/21)

Women’s Under-17 Singles: Nethmi Ratnayake (SL) beat Vishwanie Wanniarachchi (SL) 2-0 (21/8, 21/10)

Men’s Under-17 Doubles: Keneth Aruggoda/Senuth Perera (SL) beat Sadip Rai/Subin Shrestha (Nep) 2-1 (21/17, 19/21, 21/16) 

Women’s Under-17 Doubles: Nethmi Ratnayake/Vishwanie Wanniarachchi (SL) beat Dilasha Rana/Rihanna Sherchan (Nep) 2-1 (19/21, 21/11, 21/19)

Mixed Under-17 Doubles: Keneth Aruggoda/Nethmi Ratnayake (SL) beat Hamd Ullah Khalil/Humna Irshad (Pak) 2-0 (21/10, 21/19) 

Men’s Under-15 Singles: Sudesh Rajkoti (Nep) beat Ranithu Premarathne (SL) 2-0 (25/23, 21/14)

Women’s Under-15 Singles: Nithini Guruge (SL) beat Limandi Padma Bandara (SL) 2-0 (21/18, 21/8)

Men’s Under-15 Doubles: Thamindu Fernando/Ranithu Premarathne (SL) beat Sudesh Rajkoti/Deep Thing (Nep) 2-0 21/10, 21/9)

Women’s Under-15 Doubles: Limandi Padma Bandara/Nithini Guruge (SL) beat Niva Rai/Sworleen Shrestha (Nep) 2-1 (13/21, 21/14, 21/11) 

Mixed Under-15 Doubles: Thamindu Fernando/Nithini Guruge (SL) beat Deep Thing/Niva Rai (Nep) 2-0 (21/13, 21/14)