My first Asian Para Games Experience 2018

I was really happy when I was selected for the Asian para games Chess team to represent my country. On the 1^st of October at 7.30 a.m we left from the Bandaranayaka airport to Indonesia. There was a grand opening ceremony on the 6^th of October. Our games started on the 7^th.

Facilities provided for players were excellent and 8000 volunteers were appointed to help the para athletes. We had varieties of food and other entertainments such as musical shows etc.

I played only for the standard Chess event. Tournament was tuff I placed 13^th in the Asia with a performance rating of 1502.

Our para team got 14 medals including 4 gold medals. We returned to Sri Lanka on the 14^th of October.

Asian Para Games 2018 Sri Lanka Team

The third edition of the Asian Para Games will be held from 6to 13Octoberin Jakarta, Indonesia, where Sri Lanka will field a team of athletes representing nine different sporting disciplines, which include archers, athletes (track and field), badminton players, visually impaired chess players, power lifters, swimmers, shooters, table tennis players and wheelchair tennis players. 

Previously, the Asian Para Games were called the FESPIC games (Far East and Pacific Games) which began in 2002, where Sri Lanka bagged more than 24 medals including six gold medals in Korea. Subsequently, the games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2006, before rebranding as the 1st Asian Para Games, that was held in China in the year 2010 and the second Asian Para Games that was held in South Korea four years later. On both the previous two occasions, Sri Lanka grabbed more than 22 medals.

This year, Sri Lanka is represented by world class athletes in the likes of paralympic medalist Dinesh Priyantha Herath (javelin) and top rankers such as Upul IndikaChuladasa (100/200m) and Sampath Hettiarachchi (javelin), along with many more medal winners at the Asian Level with potentials from archery (Sampath Bandara), table tennis (Dinesh Desapriya) and Gamini Dissanayake of wheelchair tennis. 

“It is noteworthy to mention the support and assistance we have received from the Ministry of Sports and the principal sponsor of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Dialog Axiata PLC, for their continuous support towards empowering the athletes for the Asian Para Games this year,” said National Paralympic Committee President Major GeneralRajitha Ampemohotte. 

“Dialog is pleased to have partnered with the NPC since 2002 to provide support for these athletes who will bring honour and glory to Sri Lanka,” said Dialog Axiata PLC General Manager – Brand and Media Harsha Samaranayake. 

He added: “Sri Lankan para athletes have performed well in the last few international meets and Dialog will continue the support as a strong proponent of powering para athletes, parallel to our philosophy of empowering all segments of society to excel on a national and international stage.”

reference: http://www.ft.lk/sports/Dialog-Axiata-powers-National-Contingent-for-Asian-Para-Games-2018/23-663525

Retinitis pigmentosa Group treatment Sri Lanka

Treatment for Retinitis pigmentosa.

Group treatment 2^nd July to 14^th July 2018.

At Newlight Welfare Centre.

Contact Tuan Rushdi.

0773637799

8th DAMSO International Chess Tournament Visually Impaired Chess Champion

The 8^th DAMSO international rated Chess tournament was held in Ambalangoda Darmashoka school, started from the 19^th April to the 23^rd April.

I participated in this tournament under the differently-abled category and I was able to win that category with 5 points out of 9 rounds. This was the 1^st time I stayed in Ambalangoda for 5 days with other Chess players(Mr. Anthony Samuel and Malon Fenando).

While I was playing the tournament, I got the good news that I have been selected for the Chess team which will be participating in the Asian Para Games this year in Indonesia. This is the first time Chess has added as a indoor game in Para games.

2018 40 Over World Blind Cricket Championship

The 5^th edition of the 40 over Blind cricket championship scheduled to start on the 9^th of January 2018 at UAE. Sri Lanka Blind Cricket team, coming under the auspices of the Sri Lanka Cricket Association for the Visually Handicapped, will be led by Chandana Deshapriya. India has won the title, since 2012. Sri Lanka made it into the semi-finals during the year 2014.

The participating countries on a round robin basis comprise Sri Lanka, reigning champions India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Australia.

Let us wish our team a successful tournament!

reference : http://www.thepapare.com/tag/blind-cricket-world-cup-2018/

3rd Kolonnawa International Rated Chess Tournament 2017

The 3^rd Kolonnawa international Chess tournament started on the 8^th December 2017. The venue for this year‘s tournament was Parakramabahu College, Narahenpita. The tournament was a 9 round tournament. I was the only visually impaired player and organizers supported me a lot by providing necessary facilities for me to play the tournament.

There was no visually impaired category for this tournament. After 9 rounds I was able to score 6 points and my final rank was 61 out of 365 players.

 This will be my final tournament for 2017. I played 3 tournaments this year. In the first tournament I became the first visually impaired Chess player in Sri Lanka to participate in an international rated Chess tournament organized for sighted players. In my 2^nd tournament I was able to gain FIDE ratings to become the first Sri Lankan visually impaired Chess player to get FIDE international rating. In my 3rd tournament I played well to get 6 points out of 9 rounds while I got 5 and 5.5 points respectively previous 2 tournaments which had 10 rounds each.

My goal is to be in the top 10 visually impaired Chess players in the world by 2019. That makes the year 2018 a hard working year for me. The world visually impaired individual Chess championship will be held in Italy 2019 and the Asian visually impaired Chess championship in Philippines 2020.

8th Buddhi International Open Rating Chess Championship 2017

For the 8th time  Buddhi International Open Rating Chess Championship was organized by Mrs. Buddhi Panagoda the managing director of Buddhi education development centre. The venue for this year's event was Apsara Hotel in Nittabuwa. I got the opportunity to play in this tournament under the visually impaired category.  Over 550 chess players participated in this tournament and we had to play 10 rounds. My friend Mr. Ashanth Deemantha also played under the visually impaired category. So for the first time two visually impaired Chess players participated in an international rating Chess tournament in Sri Lanka.

In this tournament I got the opportunity to open my ratings. It was a huge step in my Chess career. After 20 years of Visually impaired Chess in Sri Lanka to be the first rated visually impaired Chess player was a great achievement for me. If more and more visually impaired Chess players can participate in these kind of rated tournaments, I hope we can form a strong visually impaired Chess team in Sri Lanka. I got 5.5 points,  i got the opportunity to play 7 rated players and to get 2.5 points against them.

I would like to thank Mrs. Buddhi Panagoda for giving me the opportunity to play in this tournament.