The newly elected Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) President Roshan Gunawardena has promised a new chapter for the sport in the country, declaring that his mission is not only to produce national players but to raise champions who can compete and win at international level.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday Observer, the experienced administrator and successful entrepreneur said the time has come to take bold, serious decisions to lift Sri Lanka’s global standing in badminton.
Sri Lanka Badminton President Roshan Gunawardena
(Pix by Rukmal Gamage)
“Our country has talent but sadly we lack international-standard players. I am determined to change that,” Gunawardena said.
Gunawardena, who hails from Galle, played badminton during his school days at both Richmond College and Mahinda College. “That’s where my love for badminton started. I understand the value of school-level sports. That’s why schools will play a big part in my plans,” he explained.
At present, Sri Lanka’s national badminton team is not even among the top 50 in the world rankings while neighbouring India has reached ninth place. Only individual star Viren Nettasinghe has managed to earn international recognition.
“I promise to the entire badminton community and all sports fans that I will take this sport to a higher rank in the world during my time in office,” Gunawardena stressed.
The newly appointed Chief, who was elected uncontested, plans to work closely with the nine provincial associations, three sectorial associations and the Schools Badminton Association, although currently only nine district associations are actively functioning. “I will work hard to reactivate the rest,” he added.
A key issue, according to Gunawardena, is the large number of Level I tournaments being held across the country. “Players don’t get enough time to train or assess their performance. From now on, every tournament must have SLB approval. Unauthorised tournaments will be stopped,” he warned.
Another major move is to streamline the national pool. The current 67 players will be pruned down to 20, who will then undergo six hours of training daily – three hours in the morning and three in the evening – along with proper nutrition, balanced meals, and accommodation in Colombo if necessary.
Gunawardena is also taking steps to nurture young talent. Over 500 Under-13 players have already been picked from each district. “They will be given coaches, shuttles, equipment, and will be placed in a junior national pool and later developed for the senior pool,” he said.
“There are over 10,000 government schools in this country but sadly less than 300 play badminton. I want to change that reality too,” he added firmly.
A former SLB President from 2010 to 2012, Gunawardena also served as Vice-President of the National Livestock Development Board, winning a Presidential Award for his leadership there.
“I know I won’t be popular when making tough calls. But my goal is to bring dignity, pride and value back to our national players. By hook or by crook, I will do what is right for badminton in this country,” he said confidently.
Gunawardena hopes to lift Sri Lanka’s world ranking from 58th to around 35th within the next 18 months. “It won’t be easy, but with courage, discipline and teamwork, I believe we can do it,” he concluded.
