HSBC International Junior Golf Championship 2017 :
Sri Lanka Junior Golfers beat their Pakistan counte4rparts in a thrilling finish at the inaugural HSBC International Junior Golf Championship final, played under Ryder Cup Match-Play format recently.
The Championship was organized by the Sri Lanka Golf Union, sponsored by HSBC and
Co-sponsored by MAS Kreeda, Cinnamon Hotels, IMORICH from Elephant House, Olu Water and Callaway.
The tournament commenced with the individual event attracting 100 entries, in 04 age Group Categories laying the platform for the Team Championships the following day.
The Sri Lanka Golf Union International two member team Championship on stroke play including Bangladesh (02 teams) and Pakistan & Sri Lanka fielding 03 teams each was worked off in the morning session.
The Pakistan Junior boys dominated the two member stroke play Team Championship winning the SLGU Junior International team Championship with the ‘A’ Team comprising Ahmed Baig(70) & Saqib (77) with an aggregate gross score of 147, five strokes clear of Pakistan ‘B’ Damil Ataulla(77) & Junaid Irfan (75) whilst the Sri Lankan pair of Januka Dilshan(74) & T. Akash (79)
ended up as second runner up.
However, in the afternoon session, Pakistan faced Sri Lanka in a Match to determine the Team Champions .
The Six member teams comprising of four Junior Boys & two Junior Girls representing Pakistan & Sri Lanka played six singles and Sri Lanka won quite comprehensively with a margin 4.5 points to 1.5 points out of a maximum 06 points. Nonetheless, the Final was gallantly fought out to the final hole, which was a closer battle than the final margin of victory. Sri Lankan Team
Captain Januka Dilshan registered the first points for the team with a comfortable 5 & 3 win over Saqib, whilst Kayla Perera recorded the biggest margin of victory defeating Rimsha Ijaz 6 & 5. Armand Flamer Caldera registered a narrow but emphatic 1 up victory over Damil Ataulla, whilst
Vinod Weerasinghe made a birdie on the 18th to have his match against Junaid Irfan, having been 1 down playing the last hole!
Taniya Minel Balasuriya was made to fight all the way for her victory over Suneya Osama who sank some amazing putts throughout the game to hold Taniya to All Square playing the 18th. Taniya held her nerve whilst making several 3 putts and eventually won the 18th despite another 3 putt to seal the final flight with a 1 up win for Sri Lanka.
The thrilling Match Play of Junior International Golf Team Championship final was followed by an enthusiastic crowd and it could be said that the junior golfers set the golf course ablaze, with the entertaining finale to the tournament.
The Awards Ceremony was enlivened with the presence of distinguished invitees representing the principal sponsors of the event. Mark Prothero, CEO HSBC, who presented the HSBC Sri Lanka International Junior Golf Championship, International Team Championship Trophy and Medals to the Winners & Runners up.
Kasun Gunaratne, Brand Manager Imorich, Ravi Tejwani, Chandana Weerasinghe, Avancka Herath, Vice Captain Royal Colombo Golf Club, Priath Fernando, President Sri Lanka Golf Union, Ms Niloo Jayatilake, Chairperson SLGU Junior Sub Committee, gave away the glamorous Trophies , and Certificates to the winners and international participants, to make history in the
annals of Sri Lanka Junior Golf establishing a spring board to develop Sri Lankan Golf from the Junior level.
The Sri Lanka team comprised of J.K. Januka Dilshan (Captain), Vinod Weerasinghe, Armand Flamer Caldera, T Akash and Kayla Perera. The opposing Pakistan team had the services of Saqib, Junaid Irfan, Damil Ataulla, Ahmed Baig Rimsha Ijaz and Suneya Osama.