Sri Lanka Junior and Cadet TT teams leave for Myanmar on August 12
Sri Lanka Junior and Cadet table tennis teams will leave for Myanmar on August 12 to take part in the 24th Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championship 2018. The championship will be held from August 13 to 18 in Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar with the participation of all regional qualified Asian giants.
The Asian continent is divided into five regions by the Asian Table Tennis Union namely East Asia, West Asia, Middle Asia, South East Asia and South Asia conducted the preliminary qualification tournaments. Sri Lanka qualified for the Asian championship in the south Asian regional championship which was held in April this year in Maldives.
From the South Asian region, only Sri Lanka and India managed to qualify for the Asian Championship after a tough battle with other regional teams. Sri Lanka teams managed to secure six silver medals and six bronze medals in the regional qualifications thereby securing the second place in the region.
Royalist Nimesh Ranchagoda and Visakhian Hansani Piyumila will lead the Sri Lanka Junior table tennis teams while Hiruna Warusawithana of Dharmasoka College and Jithara Warnakulasuriya of Ladies’ Collage will give leadership to the Cadet teams. This is Piyumila’s twentieth Sri Lanka representation, including senior and junior categories and, Ranchagoda’s sixth representation.
Rahal Abeyratne and Ms. Dilima Udagedara will function as the manager and the lady chaperon for the team respectively.
The six day tournament will be worked-off in Under 18 and 15 Team, Under 18 and 15 singles, under 18 doubles and under 18 mixed doubles events.
Sri Lankan players will have to face the Asian giants in order to move into the main draw of the tournament in each category. The team is well balanced with adequate experience and talent. Asian Championship will provide the most required exposure for the young paddlers to climb the ladder in the world rankings as per the new ranking system introduced by the international table tennis federation.
– Lakshman Ranasinghe