Junior Golf in Sri Lanka has been nurtured with dedication and commitment over the past ten years and two talented juniors have been selected to represent Sri Lanka Golf at the prestigious R & A Junior Open 2022 which coincides with the 150th British Open Championship, happening concurrently from 10th – 17th July 2022 at St Andrews.
A dynamic two-member junior team will represent Sri Lanka, with Kaya Daluwatte playing in the R & A Girls Junior Open Championship whilst Nirekh Tejwani participates in the R & A Boys Junior Open Championship, to be played at the 6,655 yards, Par 71 Monifieth Golf Course in Scotland, just 30 minutes from the Iconic St Andrews Golf Course which will host the historic 150th British Open Championship.
Kaya Daluwatte, an aspiring athlete of thirteen years, who began playing golf at the age of 7, fell in love with the game within months and today she holds a handicap of 4 and is the youngest member of the Sri Lanka Golf Women’s National Squad. Kaya is the winner of the Sri Lanka Junior Open Golf Championship played in December 2021 (Gold Division Girls 12-18+) and is the current RCGC Ladies Section Club reigning Champion.
Kaya said; “I am honoured to represent Sri Lanka at the prestigious Junior British Open this year, playing against the best in the world in my category, and excited to watch my favorite players at the 150th British Open Championship.”
The two member Sri Lanka Junior team also comprises Nirekh Tejwani, a highly talented long-hitting, sixteen-year-old with great promise for the future.
Nirekh took his first steps into the world of golf at the tender age of four and won his first tournament – Sri Lanka Junior Open Golf Championship Copper Division at the age of 9. Over the last 7 years he has participated and ranked in over 50 tournaments locally and overseas. Some of his noteworthy performances include overall winner at the 2018 and 2019 Sri Lanka Junior Open Golf Championships, gaining 3rd place in the IGU All India Junior Golf Championship (Category C) in 2018, winner of the 2020 Maclauchlan Cup and HSBC Premier Junior Golf Championship. Nirekh has been ranked first nationally 3 times and second twice in the relevant age category between 2016 and 2020. He is eagerly looking forward to representing Sri Lanka at the prestigious R&A Junior British Open Championship in 2022.
“I am honored and excited to represent my country. Sri Lanka. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to compete and meet golfers of my age group from around the world” said a smiling Nirekh Tejwani, on the threshold of his debut representation at International Level.
The two youngsters representing Sri Lanka in the Girls & Boys R & A Junior Open Championship conducted concurrently will be accompanied by Ms. Niloo Jayatilake, Chairperson of Sri Lanka Junior Golf, representing Sri Lanka Golf at this historic and world’s premier Golfing Head Quarters the R & A in Scotland, the venue of the epic Junior Open Golf Championship in the world, along with Mr. Tharanga Gunasekara, as representatives of Sri Lanka Golf assigned to the Junior Golf Development programme.
When asked for Niloo’s views on the R & A Junior Open Championship 2022, Niloo Jayatilake said;
“I am thrilled to be accompanying our junior golfers playing the prestigious Junior British Open at Monifieth this year and look forward to seeing them compete amongst the very best in the world. In addition, receiving a pass to witness “The 150th Open” is a dream come true for me, especially as The Open celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. I am quite excited to be part of the 300,000 viewers who will descend on St Andrews the iconic headquarters of Golf in the world, and the historic event, soon to be part of golfing history”.
The R & A Junior Open will be played from 11th – 13th July, 2022, with Kaya & Nirekh comprising the two member Sri Lanka Junior Golf team, accompanied by the two Sri Lanka Junior Golf representatives Niloo Jayatilake and Tharanga Gunasekera
Sri Lanka can be hopeful of a good showing by these two immensely talented and dedicated young Golfers from Sri Lanka.
