Taavi tops world rankings in U-11 category
Up-and-coming table tennis prodigy Taavi Samaraweera has let his commitment to the sport speak for itself, rising to the No.1 position in the latest World Table Tennis (WTT) Under-11 Boys’ Singles Rankings.
The 10-year-old, a promising student of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, had been placed in the lower reaches of the world rankings in his age group not too long ago. A heavy workload of international competition in recent months, however, has seen both his standard and ranking improve sharply.
Taavi Samaraweera is World No.1 at the age of 10
“I’m happy and it feels good to be world number one,” Taavi told local journalists on his return from a three-leg European tour.
Now at the top of the WTT Under-11 Boys’ Singles Rankings and firmly among the global Top 100, Taavi’s rapid progress has been driven by discipline, hard work and a genuine passion for the sport. Strong parental support has also been central to his rise, with his parents Hasitha Samaraweera and Chethana Ratnakara both being qualified table tennis coaches who have guided his development from an early age.
“I am Taavi’s father and also his coach during the European tour, where we competed in three countries, Hungary, Slovakia and Italy, with the backing of the national association and the Sports Ministry,” said Hasitha, a WTT-qualified coach. “He began steadily in Hungary, then went on to win a bronze medal in Slovakia. The highlight came in Italy, where Taavi reached the final and defeated a Malaysian opponent in style to win the gold, which ultimately took him to the top of the world rankings.”
Just a few months ago, Taavi was ranked 11th in the world. A series of strong international performances quickly lifted him to sixth place, then to third shortly before the European tour. That climb marked a historic moment not only for Taavi, but also for Sri Lanka.
“I practise every day without fail. It is tiring, but I keep training. It is about practising hard and giving my full effort,” said Taavi, who recently became the youngest student from S. Thomas’ College to receive the Most Outstanding Sports Achiever of the Year award.
Taavi is now the only Sri Lankan paddler in any age category to top the world rankings and the first Sri Lankan to achieve a world number one ranking in table tennis, and possibly in any sport. He is also currently ranked 11th in the WTT Under-13 Boys’ Singles Rankings.
His latest achievement has only sharpened his ambition, with Taavi now targeting success at global level that would firmly place Sri Lanka on the map as a nation capable of producing top-class paddlers.
“There is a lot of help from my family and my school. They encourage me all the time, and I want to repay that support by doing even better,” he said.
In 2025 alone, Taavi, with his father Hasitha acting as coach and manager, competed in nearly 30 international tournaments. Those appearances brought 10 medals and 200 ranking points, enough to secure the WTT Under-11 Boys’ Singles top ranking. His closest rival, Allen Mao of the United States, is second with 110 points, followed by William Jin, also of the United States, on 107. Malaysia’s Habib Azhar has slipped to fourth with 88 points, while another Sri Lankan, Vinon Juwana, is placed 89th among the Top 100.
At just 10 years of age, Taavi Samaraweera has already reached the summit of world table tennis in his age group, with his journey only just beginning.