Sri Lanka golf dressed to win by Brandix

A quartet of top Sri Lankan golfers leave for Bangladesh this week on a quest to annex the Dhaka Open trophy dressed to win by the national team’s first clothing sponsor Brandix.

The two-member Sri Lanka Women’s Team comprising of Niloo Jayatilake and the Holy Family Convent student Dhanushi Senadhira and their male counterparts Tissa Chandradasa and Mithun Perera take on the region’s best in Dhaka attired in distinctive new Sri Lanka team T-shirts provided by the country’s largest apparel exporter.

As the national golf team’s Clothing Sponsor for 2008, Brandix will provide Sri Lanka’s high-flying golf stars with distinctive T-shirts in four colours reel, white and two shades of blue in a demonstration of support to the game which has scaled new heights in recent years.

Welcoming Brandix’s support to the team, Niloo Jayatilake, the reigning Pakistan Ladies National Amateur Champion said: “It is very encouraging to have an organisation of the calibre of Brandix as a sponsor of the national team. This is a great start to 2008 for Sri Lanka’s golfers.”

Brandix Chairman Ken Balendra said: “We consider it a privilege to support Sri Lanka Golf, which has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the region. Brandix already has a significant presence in India and Bangladesh, and we are proud to be associated with the achievements of our golfing stars.”

The Sri Lanka Golf Union is to send players during the year to Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore to name a few, and the women’s team of Niloo Jayatilake and Dhanushi Senadhira is scheduled to take wing to Japan in May 2008 to represent Sri Lanka at the Asia Pacific Ladies Invitational Team Championship, the 30th Queen Sirikit Cup. Sri Lankan golfers excelled in the international golfing arena in 2007, with K Prabagharan winning the All India National Championship, Niloo Jayatilake clinching the Pakistan Ladies National Amateur Championships and young team-mate Dhanushi Sendahira emerging the runner-up. Sri Lanka men’s team comprising Mithun Perera, Tissa Chandradasa and T. Prabadharan won the 9th SAARC championship held in Katmandu. Nepal and Mithun Perera won the overall individual event beating many experienced players. The women’s team comprising once again of Niloo and Dhanushi did well at this tournament to emerge runners-up to India.

The national men’s and women’s teams represent a unique blend of youth and experience. Mithun Perera is the son of the legendary Nandasena Perera, winner of the 119th Sri Lanka Amateur Championship. Mithun was placed 3rd at the 46th Pakistan Amateur Championship and placed 5th at the 105th Malaysian Amateur Championship the same year. Tissa Chandradasa was the holder of the Dubai Order of Merit from 2002 – 2005, runner-up at the Dubai Amateur Open in 2003, winner of the Dubai Amateur Open in 2004 and also the winner of the Abu Dhabi Open that same year. Both were members of the Sri Lanka golf team to the Asian Games held in Dubai.

Brandix pioneered the concept of total solutions in the Sri Lankan apparel industry and is Sri Lanka’s largest apparel exporter with a consolidated annual turnover of over US$ 320 million. Recent commitments to sport include the sponsorship of an eight-member contingent of exceptional undergraduate athletes from the University of Kelaniya to participate at the World University Games (Universiade) 2007, and support to Sri Lanka’s champion weight-lifter Chinthana Vidanage and fast bowler Lasith Malinga, both of who are employed by Brandix.