The redeveloped Badminton Courts Complex at the Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) headquarters in Colombo 7 was declared open by Minister of Sports Harin Fernando at a ceremony held last Thursday (July 25).
The event was attended by a host of senior sports officials, including the new SLB president Rohan de Silva who played an exhibition match with Minister Fernando against vice president Parakrama Basnayake and Nalaka Weerakkody.
The match was followed by a women’s exhibition singles match between former national champion Achini Ratnasiri and Kavindi Dinari.
The indoor courts were in a dilapidated condition with many shortcomings, causing many inconveniences to players.
As part of the project carried out by Sri Lanka Badminton under its new management, the number of indoor courts was increased to three while the playing surface too has undergone major changes with brand new synthetic flooring being done according to international standards. A new lighting system has also been installed to help players to make maximum use during their training sessions.
The national pool has also been increased from 15 to 40 to provide more opportunities for top shuttlers to reach higher standards under qualified coaches.
The governing body also hopes to further develop the accommodation and sanitary facilities apart from improving the state of the office complex with the help of the Sports Ministry in the near future. (BP)