Probodha and Anan, Most Outstanding paddlers
Probodha Yasassi of Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya and Anan Manzil of Trinity College Kandy were the pick of the rest at the 12th Tibhar Table Tennis Championship, held at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Stadium in Mt. Lavinia recently.
Probodha and Anan emerged the Most Outstanding Players in the Girls’ and Boy’s categories respectively at the two-day competition while Hansaka Wijesiri of Vidyartha College Kandy won the award for Most Stylish Player in the Boy’s category.
Probodha went a step ahead by winning the Most Stylish Player in the Girls’ category while Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya managed to win five events out of a total nine.
She won a double in the competition, by clinching the Intermediate and Under-21 categories in her two outings while Anan, appearing in three finals, won the Under-21 event. Probodha beat Dinithi Dissanayaka of Mahamaya College Kandy in the Intermediate final while beat team mate Aischarya Dissanayake to win the Under-21 earlier on. Before losing the Intermediate final Dinithi had won the Novices event, beating Chameesha Thushadi of Kegalu BV.
Sanduni Gawrika of Viharamahadevi Vidyalaya Kiribathgoda beat Imalsha Lakrandhi of Buddhist Girls’ School Mt. Lavinia to win the Under-18 title. Pinidi Jayasinghe of Lyceum International Wattala beat Hansika Devindi of Buddhist Girls’ School to win the Under-15 championship.
Esmini Seneviratne of Kegalu BV beat Samadhi Hirushika of Karandeniya Central to win the Under12 championship as Senuri Apsara and Navindi Seneviratne of Kegalu BV pocketed the Under-12 Doubles title, beating the pairing of Oshadhi Petthanayake and Imalsha Laksandhi of Buddhist Ladies College. Kegalu BV’s first title came from Senuri Apsara, who beat her team-mate Dilsha Devindi to win the Under-10 title. The Under-8 championship was the first title on offer as Rehansa Amarasinghe of Prajapathi Balika Vidyalaya went on to beat Nilshi Sanjana of Devananda Ambalangoda to win it.
In the Boy’s events Chandupa Alahakoon of Kingswood College Kandy beat Thisas Ranchagoda of Royal College Colombo to win the Intermediate championship. Vidyartha College’s Yasiru Malisha pocketed the Novices title beating Anan in the final after the Trinitian had won the Under21 title earlier on. He beat team mate Uvindu Bandara in the final.
Anan had a unsuccessful jaunt at the beginning when he lost the Under-18 final to Vidyartha’s Hansaka Wijesiri. Hasitha Udara of Kingswood College beat Vidyartha’s Bhavendra Srimal to win the Under-15 title after Oshan Silva of Colombo South International School went on to clinch the Under-12 championship beating Sadaru Senaratharachchi of Royal College Colombo. The Amaratunga’s -- Senuth and Binuth of Royal Colombo defeated Indeepa Bandara and Bomira Weerasinghe of D.S. Senanayake College to win the Under-12 Doubles title.
Mohamed Saifullah of Al Uda International won the Under-10 championship beating Pasindu de Silva of Kularatne MV Abmalangoda while Savindu Sathsara of Devananda Ambalangoda beat Hesal Jayasinghe of Dharmaraja Kandy to win the Under-8 title.
Tibhar Sports Club has been in the fore front of Sri Lanka’s Table Tennis sport arena for well over a decade, organising an All Island Tables Tennis Tournament every year with the intention of promoting the sport among Sri Lankan schools and bringing these young talents to international level.
Tibhar Spots Club and Tibhar Table Tennis Academy is headed by two prominent former Sri Lanka national players namely Namal Gunasekara and Buddhasiri Withanachchi. This year, the Tibhar All-Island Intermediate and Novices Table Tennis Tournament received a record number of participation of 500 junior and senior paddlers from around the country.
This tournament was organised under the chairmanship of Kokila de Silva. The chief guest at the awards ceremony was the Acting President of Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka, Niranjan Abeysena and Daya Samaraweera, the former President of TTASL, Coordinating officer for Minister of Sports for Table Tennis, graced the occasion as the guest of honour.