Sharmal confident of medal at Youth Olympics
Sri Lanka’s top young tennis star, Sharmal Dissanayake, said that he was extremely confident about his chances of medaling at the forthcoming Youth Olympic Games after an intense and fruitful period of training in the leadup to the global junior sports extravaganza, which runs from August 16-24 in Nanjing, China.
“I am expecting a medal because I have played almost everyone taking part and have beaten most of them and am capable of beating everyone else. It is just about my confidence level and how I handle things on the court,” Dissanayake expressed.
Sharmal, resolute as ever - Pic by Amila Gamage
“My preparation has been going quite well. I have been training during the last two-and-a-half to three months in Germany so everything looks good and I am feeling physically fit. I was mainly focusing on my fitness during the last year and it has made a huge difference in my game. I can now last longer on court, run faster and hit the ball harder.”
Another notable addition to his game is his sharpened net play. He asserts that this will shorten the length of the points he plays by enabling him to quickly wrap up rallies he gains control of through his trademark fierce groundstrokes, something he was unable to do a year ago.
Dissanayake will also benefit from the experience he gained at last year’s Asian Youth Games which were also staged in Nanjing, where he served as the Sri Lankan contingent’s flag-bearer.
Although Dissanayake did not win a medal at the Games, he said he walked away with a clearer understanding of the grind of competing for your country at a top international contest.
“When you represent a contingent you have a lot of responsibility, which is something I like. At tournaments like the Asian Youth Games it is very competitive and anyone can win it,” Dissanayake explained.
He said he expected to confront similar challenges on his second trip to Nanjing, playing against the world’s top young talent in conditions he describes as being hot and stifling with courts that generate extraordinary bounce.
“This is the first time a local tennis player is going to the Youth Olympics so I am hoping to do my best. I will also have further preparation when I go there because I will be playing in a warm-up event right before the Youth Olympics. Most of the players playing in that will also be playing in the Youth Olympics so I will get to know their games much better.”