Udaya and Hansani were trail blazers
Udaya Ranasinghe won a triple
Open Ranking All Island Table Tennis Championship 2016 for the Mayor’s Cup came to a close on February 22 at the Bandula Gunawardene Indoor Stadium, Lumbini College when young table Tennis sensation from Vidyartha College, Kandy Udaya Ranasinghe and Visakian Hansani Piumila were crowned Most Outstanding Players in the Men’s and Women’s categories.
Udaya Ranasinghe swept the board by winning the Men’s Singles, Under 21 Boys Singles and Under 18 Boys Singles while Hansani won the Girls Under 18 Singles event. In a competition where a high standard of table tennis was exhibited as most of the national players who took part in the recently concluded South Asian Games table tennis championship were seen in action. The tournament was organised by the Colombo District Table Tennis Association in collaboration with the Playgrounds and Recreation Department of the Colombo Municipal Council and the chief guest was the deputy mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council.
The tussle that stole the lime light was in the Open Men’s event where Sri Lanka national TT captain Rohan Sirisena met Udaya Ranasinghe. Open attacking table tennis was seen as both players exhibited their standard. In the final result Udaya Ranasinghe defeated his captain 4-1.
In the Women’s Open was also a battle between two national players Ishara Madurangi and Hansani Piumila. Hansani the schoolgirl from Visakha Vidyalaya failed to live upto her reputation as Madurangi scored an easy 4-0 victory.
Results
Under 10 Boys Singles – Rasindu Jayasundera (Kingswood College) beat Ravisitha Fernando (St. Mary’s College, Kegalle) 3-1 (12/10, 10/12, 11/7, 11/6) Girls – Chameesha Thushadi (Kegalu BV) beat Fathmath Deema Ali (Royal Institute, Colombo) 3-0 (11/5, 11/2, 11/7)
Under 12 Boys Singles – Dhanushka Wijesinghe (Kingswood College, Kandy) beat Chanuka Sri Bandara (St Mary’s College Kegalle) 3-1 (6/11, 12/10, 11/3, 11/8) Girls – Sanduni Prabuddika (Prajapathie Gothami BMV, Ambalangoda) beat Bimandee Bandara (Hillwood College, Kandy) 3-0 (11/8, 11/9, 11/5)
Under 15 Boys Singles – Dewmith Weerasena (Lyceum International, Nugegoda) beat Dhanul Dulsen (Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda) 3-2 (4/11, 11/8, 9/11, 11/9, 11/8); Girls – Imasha De Silva (Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda) beat Ochini Dissanayake (Mahamaya College, Kandy) 3-0 (11/7, 11/7, 11/5)
Under 18 Boys Singles – Udaya Ranasinghe (Vidyartha College, Kandy) beat Supuna Warusawithana (Ananda College, Colombo) 3-2 (11/9, 11/5, 7/11, 8/11, 11/9); Girls – Hansani Piumila (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) beat Chamathsara Fernando (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 3-1 (9/11, 11/9, 11/4, 12/10)
Under 21 Boys Singles – Udaya Ranasinghe (Vidyartha College, Kandy) beat Krishan Wickremaratne (Vidyartha College, Kandy) 3-0 (11/9, 13/11, 11/9); Girls – Ruvini Kannangara (SLITT) beat Erandi Warusawithana (University of J’pura) 3-0 11/9, 11/2, 11/9)
Open Men’s Singles – Udaya Ranasinghe (Vidyartha College, Kandy) beat Rohan Sirisena (Stag Table Tennis Academy) 4-1 (5/11, 11/8, 11/6, 12/10, 11/4; Women’s – Ishara Madurangi (Stag Table Tennis Academy) beat Hansani Piumila (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 4-0 (11/8, 11/2, 11/6, 11/4)
Hansani Piumila - Women’s most outstanding player