Dumindu Abeywickrama Stepped Out Of Cricket's Shadow To Make Badminton Heard In Sri Lanka

For a child growing up in Colombo, cricket is almost impossible to escape. It spills out of schoolyards and onto streets, dominates television screens on weekends and is part of everyday life. Ten-year-old Dumindu Abeywickrama, however, was drawn to something else.

He picked up a tennis racket, only for a stubborn middle-ear infection to force him away from the sport before he had really started.

He did not choose badminton. His doctor did.

“I was playing tennis, but I had a middle-ear infection, so my doctor told me to choose an indoor sport. After that, I chose badminton. That’s how I started,” he told Outlook India.

What began as a medical recommendation eventually became a career. Now 23 and ranked 82nd in the world, Abeywickrama has made his way to the BWF World Championships in New Delhi.

His journey, though, has not been straightforward. He has largely funded his career himself, with his parents footing the bill for years. His first sponsorship deal arrived only two days before he flew to India.

His stay at the World Championships was brief. He lost 21-8, 21-10 to India’s Ayush Shetty in the first round.

But the scoreline tells very little about the week Abeywickrama had in New Delhi.

The Shetty Test

Abeywickrama had beaten Shetty before, in 2023. This time, though, he was facing a very different player. Shetty arrived at the World Championships after pulling off a major upset against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi.

Abeywickrama did not see that as a reason to feel overwhelmed. He saw it as a reminder of how much his opponent had improved.

“I will play with him in 2023. That one I won. But now, it’s totally different. He has improved a lot. To be honest, he’s playing very good. So, I need to improve more. That’s the only thing,” he said.

Did Shetty’s win over the world No. 1 add to the pressure?

Not really.

“Already I know he’s better than me, so it’s not a pressure to me,” Abeywickrama said.

There was no attempt to dress up the challenge. He knew where he stood and what he needed to work on.

Two Days Before The Draw

For much of Abeywickrama’s career, badminton has been a family-funded pursuit.

“This is my mom’s and dad’s money. All, until now, it’s a lot of money,” he said.

That changed, at least a little, just before the World Championships. A sponsorship deal with Kawasaki came through only two days before his departure for New Delhi.

“Now only I got the sponsor from Kawasaki, just two days before. All new,” he said. “I’m quite good because they gave me my world rank. So I’m happy.”

The support from the Sri Lankan government is modest too. Unlike some of the world’s leading badminton nations, Sri Lankan players do not have a regular salary structure.

“For badminton players, you won’t get any salary. From the government, I get only around $300 per month. It’s better because we’re not getting anything. I think slowly, slowly it will become better,” he said.

For now, Abeywickrama is making do with what he has. His first major sponsorship has arrived, but years of relying on his parents have shaped his understanding of what it takes to pursue a sport professionally.

The Neuroplasticity Question

There is another side to Abeywickrama that is less visible on a badminton court. He is close to completing a psychology degree, which he expects to finish next March. He has been studying alongside a full-time playing schedule.

Psychology was not something he picked simply to have another qualification. He wanted to understand himself better, particularly what happens mentally when he competes.

“I chose psychology as I wanted to understand how I behave, how other people behave and why. The shuttle, the tactics and everything, I wanted to understand the mentality about it. I wanted to understand things like neuroplasticity, how the brain can change, grow and reorganise its connections, and how that can affect the way we learn and play badminton,” he said.

It has also changed the way he approaches pressure.

There was a time when matches brought plenty of nerves. Now, he tries not to give them too much importance.

“Before, I used to get a lot of pressure. But now, I just play, nothing. With nothing to lose,” he said.

Even his preparation for a World Championship match is surprisingly simple.

Asked what he does before walking out for a major tournament, he offered no elaborate routine or mental exercise.

“No, I just don’t think so. Same as like I go for practice, I’m going for the tournament,” he said.

Perhaps that simplicity comes from years of having to find his own way in badminton. He picked up the sport because a doctor told him to stay indoors. He continued because he found something in it worth pursuing.

At 23, Abeywickrama is still trying to find out how far that unexpected choice can take him.