An all-woman team of British Sri Lankan conker aces emerged victorious in the World Conker Championships, held recently in Northamptonshire, UK.

The Sri Lankan team, all of whom are related and live in the UK, consisted of captain Indra Chandraratna, 62; Kumudini Chandraratna, 40; Visaka Chandraratna, 32; and Anushika Indraratna, 29.

This year teams from 17 nations competed in the annual event, organised by Ashton Conker Club in support of charities for the blind and visually impaired and held near the picturesque market town of Oundle.

The Sri Lankan team first entered the championships - which have been held since 1965 - in 2004, with limited success, but decided to make 2010 Sri Lanka’s year in which to ‘conker all’ and were duly declared Ladies Team Champions 2010.

Team captain, retired nurse, Indra Chandraratna said: “This year the team had some formal training sessions as soon as we were able to start collecting conkers, which begin to fall from the horse chestnut trees here in the UK in the early autumn months, to practice with.

“We managed to practice in the run up to the competition using conkers that a friend of ours had frozen from last year’s crop, so that we could start to prepare early. As soon as they came into season we started using fresh ones.

“All-in-all it was great fun, for a good cause and we must thank our coach for our good performance on the day. We enjoyed ourselves and are looking forward to defending our title - and representing Sri Lanka - again next year.”

Visaka Chandraratna, a solicitor, added: “Given the distances we all live from each other getting together to practice was difficult. But we were each given conkers to practice with at home. My husband helped me by using his experience with martial arts to hone my stance, aim and focus. The whole team got together to practice the night before the event, and had an hour of preparation before the start of the competition on the day of the championships.

“Unfortunately we were a team member down this year as Nirmani Indraratna, who has been a key part of the team since we started to compete, was unable top take part due to illness.”

Team coach, author Bandula Chandraratna continued: “The team scored a good points total, winning the Ladies Team Championship trophy by recording the lowest number of missed conker strikes. The team was determined to do well and I am very proud of my daughters, wife and niece for their achievement in this year’s competition.

“It was a brilliant result and we feel proud not only to have been a part of this worthy fundraising event, which is so much fun, but to have achieved something for Sri Lanka on a world stage.

“And if, as is being rumoured, conkers becomes an accepted sport in the Commonwealth Games in 2012, we will be proud to represent Sri Lanka again!”

Traditionally conkers is a game played by British schooldchildren each autumn. For the World Conker Championships conkers - the hard, nut-like seed of the horse chestnut tree (aesculus hippocastanum) - are put on strings of a standard length (12”, 30cm). Players then try to hit, and smash, the conker of their opponent, being awarded points for the hits they score.