Ravindu Laksiri, the first and only player from Sri Lanka in a World Championship Qualifying Event, won a big match against Iraq’s top player, Ferman Hassan. This happened during the 2023-2024 World Championship Qualifying Event – Asia Round I in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Laksiri beat Hassan with a score of 3-0, winning sets of 17-19, 6-11, and 2-11. The match lasted 36 minutes. This victory gave Laksiri 75 points for his world rankings.
This is a big moment because it’s the first time a Sri Lankan squash player has been in a World Championship Qualifying Event. But in the quarter-finals, Laksiri had to play against the top-seeded player, Ryunosuke Tsukue from Japan, who is ranked 59th in the world.
Unfortunately, Laksiri lost 3-0 to Tsukue and got knocked out of the quarter-finals.
Despite this, Laksiri finished as the eighth-best player in Asia in the qualifiers.
“I’m really happy to be in the top 8 in Asia,” Laksiri said. “This tournament has been very special for me. It’s a big moment in my career to be the first Sri Lankan squash player in such a big event. I’m very proud to represent my country.”
Sajeewa Jayakody