The Southern Province Badminton Association is to conduct an Open tournament in Ambalangoda and have lined up 68 events to be played from March 14 to 19, but the championship has been mired in match-fixing for the doubles event.
Entries for the event closed on February 20 and some of the leading players had entered. However, one of the organizing officials of the event had reportedly told a leading player to withdraw her entry for an Open doubles event.
The player is none other than Thilini Hendahewa who wanted Hasara Wijeratne as her partner in the women’s doubles event. She was told to change her partner to Dilmi Dias who was also aiming to win the doubles event with Hendahewa.
According to a badminton official the move was a violation of the rules to compel a player to withdraw his or entry from an event after the closing date of entries. The events to be worked off are for boys and girls singles in the age categories of under-13, 15, 17, 18 and for men and women Open.
Other events are men’s and women’s singles in the over-30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 age groups as well as boys and girls doubles in the under-13, 15, 17 and 19 categories.
The Open men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles in the age categories of over-30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 will also be worked off.