Sri Lanka’s Chalitha Pushpika, who was in strong contention for the title after the third round, ended his campaign in an unexpected fifth place with a 12-over-par performance in the 38th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship, which concluded at the Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka yesterday.
Pushpika, a golfer from the Navy, had been poised for a top finish after an impressive one-over-par second round of 73 placed him second on the leaderboard. However, a six-over-par final round of 78 brought his total gross to 300 across four rounds (74, 75, 73, 78) falling short of expectations. Despite the disappointment, his fifth-place finish marked an improvement from last year’s sixth-place performance.
Another Sri Lankan, Jacob Norton, a schoolboy from Stafford International School, made an impressive debut on the international amateur stage. The teenager formed part of the Sri Lankan team alongside Pushpika and made the cut in his first attempt. Norton finished 31st in the 58-member leaderboard with a total gross score of 328 (81, 83, 85, 79). His four-over-par 79 in the final round exhibited progress, hinting at a promising future in competitive golf.
Chanaka Perera, competing as a privateer, finished seventh. His consistent rounds of 81, 75, 79, and a strong one-over-par 73 in the final round brought his gross total to 308, placing him just behind Pushpika on the leaderboard.
Nepal’s Sadbhav Acharya clinched the championship with a three-over-par gross total of 291. His steady performance, capped by a one-over-par 73 in the final round, secured him the title.
Host nation Bangladesh also enjoyed success, with their ‘B’ team player Shafiqul Islam finishing as runner-up with a nine-over-par gross total of 297. Shahabuddin, from Bangladesh’s ‘A’ team, shared third place with Islam while MD Shamim carded the best score of the final day with a stunning one-under-par 72, securing fourth place ahead of Pushpika.
