Southern Province paddlers win overall championship
Southern Province with a haul of 7 medals won the Overall Championship at the 43rd National Sports Festival Table Tennis Championship held at the S.Thomas’ Indoor Stadium tables recently.
All 9 Provinces participated in the championship conducted by the Ministry of Sports and its Dept of Sports Development.
Southern Province’s seven medals consisted of 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze. Central Province with 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze, and Western Province with 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze came 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The two players who hogged the limelight were the TT sensations from the hill capital, Udaya Ranasinghe and Ishara Maduwanthi from the Central Province . In the Men’s singles final, young Ranasinghe beat National captain Rohan Sirisena of Western Province 3-1. Ranasinghe with nippy footwork and power packed smashes unsettled the experienced Sirisena’s plans in the early stages, but the never-say-die National captain pulled back a set, which was all the Central Province paddler allowed his opponent to gain. The judges had no hesitation in adjudging the youngster as the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.
Ishara Maduwanthi of Southern Province bagged the Women’s Singles title overcoming Central Province’s Ochini Dassanayake 3-1. Maduwanthi exhibited her talents as a national player with quality play, both in attack and defence. She was adjudged Most Outstanding Player among the Women.
In the Men’s Doubles final, Central Province pair Udaya Ranasinghe-J.M.B.N.B. Jayasinghe defeated K.S.T. Chalitha Ranjana-S. Malith Dilusha of Southern Province.
The Women’s Doubles was won by Hansani Piumila Kapugeekiyana-R.S. Kannangara of Western Province when they defeated Southern Province’s Ishara Maduwanthi-G.V. Nuvani Nayodya.
The Central Province team represented by Udaya Ranasinghe, J.M.B.N.B. Jayasinghe, A.P.J. De Silva, D.K.M. Kolongashinna and P.D.U. Tennekoon beat Southern Province 3-1 to win the Men’s Team Championship.
In the Women’s team final, Southern Province emerged champions defeating Western Province 3-0. The victorious Southern Province team was represented by Ishara Maduwanthi, E.D. Warusawithana, S.T.M.P. De Silva, Imasha De Silva and Nuwani Nayodya.