Sri Lanka Wins Gold at World Chess Olympiad

Sri Lanka’s national women’s chess team has won the championship in the “C” category of the women’s division at the 46th World Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The team, comprising five players under the age of 19 — Dahamdi Sandula, Oshini Gunawardena, Sadithi Kusalya, Yenuthi Sahanli and Sayumi Halangoda — helped secure the gold medal for Sri Lanka at the international tournament.

The 46th World Chess Olympiad featured women’s teams from 189 countries and was held in Samarkand, bringing together chess players from around the world.

Following their performance, Sri Lanka climbed from 77th to 34th in the world chess rankings, according to the information provided.

The victorious team returned to Sri Lanka early on September 29, arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport at 2:10 a.m. on Air Arabia flight G9587 from Sharjah.

Officials from the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Sports, along with the players’ parents, were at the airport to welcome the young champions home.

The achievement marks a significant milestone for Sri Lankan women’s chess and highlights the success of the country’s emerging young players on the international stage.