N. Ramachandran, President, World Squash Federation, was conferred the “Friendship of Sri Lankan Squash award” at a spectacular opening ceremony of the 15th Asian junior championship in Colombo on Tuesday night.
The ceremony, lasting over 90 minutes at the Mount Lavinia Hotel by the bay, witnessed the assemblage of the 19 teams (11 men and eight women) for the Asian championships.
Holding centre stage at the gala event was Sri Lankan icon and world record holding spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, who conferred the “Friendship of Sri Lankan Squash Award,” on Mr. Ramachandran.
Acknowledging the role played by Mr. Ramachandran in the promotion of squash in the region as well as across the globe, Mr. Oliver Guruge, President, Sri Lanka Squash, underscored how happy the Sri Lankan squash fraternity felt in honouring the leader of the world squash.
Thanking the Sri Lanka federation and the squash community in the country, Mr. Ramachandran referred to the sporting links that India shared with Sri Lanka in several sports and how such contacts had enlarged the scope of friendship between the countries.
He also stressed the role of Sri Lanka in strengthening the fibres of Asian squash, and appealed to Muralitharan to give a helping hand in the development of squash as well.
