Praveena wins CP TT championship
View(s):It was a not very common blip on the radar for Sri Lanka’s teen-aged, talented National Table Tennis Champion Udaya Ranasinghe when he was beaten by school-mate Thilina Wijesiri in the semi-final of the open event at the Central Province TT Championships worked off at the Jagath Rajapakse International Stadium in Doluwa
Another former Champion Nirmala Jayasinghe was also dumped by the wayside in the other semi-final by another Vidyartha player Prasad de Silva.
Udaya made partial amends by dispatching Chintaka Ekanayake (Vidyartha) in straight sets to walk away with the under 18 title.
Wijesiri, who beat de Silva to win the open event, plays a fast game. His forte is his well disguised spin services. These are followed by top spin and flat kills. He never shrank from shot-making. Prasad de Silva had a two sets to one lead mid-way in the final. However, the momentum deserted him and Wijesiri came back to win. On the day, Wijesiri proved to be the superior player.
Mahamaya’s Ochini Dissanaike showed she’s one for the future by entering three finals. She came off second best to school mate Samadhi Hettiarachchi in the under 15 final, going down in a five setter. Ochini proceeded to topple last year’s winner Praveena Silva in an entertaining four setter to win the under 18 event.
Yet, when it came to the one which mattered the open final – Ochini was put in her place by Praveena Silva, who annexed the Sakuna Trophy in straight sets.
Kingswood and Dharmaraja produced the winners in the under 12, 10 and 8 categories. This is a happy augury for Table-Tennis in these schools. If the trend is maintained, their players could be challenging Vidyartha in the near future. At the moment, it’s one-way street for the Vidyartha lads. This tournament, which was organized by the KDTTA, was sponsored by Sakuna Holdings. Generous cash prizes were on offer.
- Aubrey Kuruppu
Results
Under-8
Boys: Varuna Abeyratne (DCK) bt Sandani Abeysinghe (DCK) 11-9, 10-12, 11-9
Girls: Dimagi Ramanayake (GHS) bt Savini Ratwatte (GHS) 14-12, 5-11, 11-7.
Under-10
Boys: Dhanushka Wijesinghe (KCK) bt Rifky Ahamed (KCK) 11-8, 11-5
Girls: Tharani Galagoda (Hillwood) bt Kavini Malalpola (Hillwood) 11-7, 11-7.
Under-12:
Boys: Chandupa Alahakoon (KCK) bt Pium Ekanayake (VCK) 11-9, 10-12, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6
Girls: Poojani Vitachchi (G.S.C.) bt Dinithi Dissanaike (Mahamaya) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9
Under-15:
Boys: Dinesh Kavishka (VCK) bt CM Gunasekera (Sussex) 11-9, 13-11, 11-9
Girls: Samadhi Hettiarachchi (Mahamaya) bt Ochini Dissanaike (Mahamaya) 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7.
Under-18:
Boys: Udaya Ranasinghe (VCK) bt Chintaka Ekanayake (VCK) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5
Girls: Ochini Dissanayake (Mahamaya) bt Praveena Silva (GHS) 11-7, 4-11, 12-10, 11-8
Men’s Open: Thilina Wijesiri (VCK) bt Prasad de Silva (VCK) 11-6, 7-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9.
Women’s Open: Praveena Silva (GHS) bt Ochini Dissanaike (Mahamaya) 11-9, 11-7, 11-8
Most Promising Players: Dhanushka Wijesinghe (KCK), Dimagi Ramanayake (GHS)