The Sports Complex in Polonnaruwa buzzed with ambition on August 27, 2026, as the North Central Province held its Open and Women’s selections for the Sri Lanka National Sports Festival 2026. Organized by the Ministry of Sports, the event gave the province’s best players a single, high-pressure day to earn their place on the biggest domestic stage, and both sections delivered a competition full of drama, grit and fighting chess.
Both tournaments were played as seven-round Swiss-System events at a brisk rapid time control of 30 minutes plus a 10-second increment, a format that rewards sharp calculation and cool nerves in equal measure. The event was directed by Mrs W G S Priyadharshika, with FA R P D R Thilakarathne serving as Chief Arbiter, keeping a busy hall running smoothly across a long and demanding day.
In the Open section, the story belonged to AIM Thasitha Rukmal G. His campaign could hardly have started worse, with a first-round defeat leaving him instantly on the back foot. But champions are made of sterner stuff, and Rukmal responded with a superb, relentless recovery, reeling off wins and clutch draws to climb back to the summit. He saved his very best for last, winning a tense final-round clash against AFM J A S S Jayasinghe to finish on 5.5 points, alone at the top and a full half-point clear of the chasing pack. It was a performance of real character, proving that a single early setback need not define a tournament. Behind him, three players finished locked together on five points, and the placings came down to the cruel, beautiful mathematics of the tiebreak. It was J A D U Jayakody who edged into second on the strength of a wonderfully consistent run, with Jayasinghe taking third and the unrated K P D O Thineshwara desperately unlucky to miss the podium in fourth despite matching the leaders on points, a breakthrough showing that marks him as one to watch.
If the Open was a tale of a great comeback, the Women’s section was a tale of sheer dominance, and it belonged to Chamathka Veenavi Sumithraarachchi. She was simply unstoppable, brushing aside opponent after opponent to race to six wins from seven, her only blemish a single defeat that never once threatened her grip on the title. She closed the tournament with a commanding final-round victory to finish a full point clear, a champion in every sense. Behind her, top seed U N Ilangasinghe fought valiantly for silver, her own excellent run of 5 points including a fine win over the eventual bronze medallist, undone only by a crucial loss in the final round. Third went to W K E M D Sandarekha Ekanayake, who edged a tense tiebreak battle with Sewmitha Dharathi after both finished on 4.5 points, the pair separated by the narrowest of margins after a week of hard-fought chess.
There was plenty to admire further down both fields, with players like N D N Bandara and B N T Jayawardhana in the Women’s section, and A A D G Amarasinghe and Sasindu Rashmika Thanthrige in the Open, all battling hard and picking up fine wins along the way. In events where every half-point could mean the difference between selection and heartbreak, the fighting spirit on show was a credit to chess in the North Central Province.
Beyond the results, the day captured everything that makes provincial chess so important. The nervous energy of a selection event, the hunger of players chasing a national dream, and the camaraderie of a community coming together over the board. Competitions like these are the foundation on which Sri Lankan chess is built, giving talent from every corner of the island a genuine path to the top.
Warmest congratulations to both champions, AIM Thasitha Rukmal and Chamathka Veenavi Sumithraarachchi, to every podium finisher, and to all the players who competed for provincial honours in Polonnaruwa. To those who earned selection, you have done your province proud. To those who fell just short, keep fighting, for your day will come. A heartfelt thank you to the Ministry of Sports, the arbiters and officials, and everyone who made the day possible.
