Udaya and Muthumali take top honours
Udaya Ranasinghe of Vidyartha College Kandy and Muthumali Priyadarshani of Devananda College Ambalangoda won several accolades in the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively at the All-Island Junior Ranking Ta b l e Te n n i s Championship, held in Kurunegala last week.
Ranasinghe dominated the boys’ segment in the two-day tournament by securing the Under 18 and Under 15 singles titles, while Priyadarshani won the Under 15 singles championship in addition to emerging Runnerup in the Under 18 singles category.
Ranasinghe beat teammate Thilina Wijesiri in a grueling encounter which had all the frills and thrills anyone could ask for. Ranasinghe won the first two sets but Wijesiri claimed the third set to throw open the battle, but the winner put things beyond doubt by claiming the fourth set to secure the Under 18 title. In the Under 15 singles final, Ranasinghe confronted another of his teammates, Chinthaka Ekanayake, and experienced an early shock when he lost the first set, but he rebounded to win the following three sets consecutively and claim the title. With two trophies in his bag, Ranasinghe was declared the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
In other age categories, Wesley College’s ping pong sensation, Lithmina Mahanama thrashed Kegalu Vidyalaya’s Thenuka Dananjaya in straight sets to win the Under 12 singles championship. Dewmith Weerasena of Lyceum International School Nugegoda won the Under 10 singles title after beating Isuru Methmal of Ke g a l u Vidyalaya in a final that went down to the wire. Weerasena took an early lead when he claimed the first two sets but Methmal didn’t allow the winner to settle down, as he claimed the next two sets to level the game. But an unyielding Weerasena stood tall to win the fifth and final set and walk away victorious.
In the girls’ category, Erandi Warusavithana of Dharmasoka Ambalangoda beat Muthumali Priyadarshani of Devananda Ambalangoda by three sets to one, to win the Under 18 singles title. However, Priyadarshani was resilient enough to clinch the Under 15 singles title after a great battle against Chamathsara Fernando of Girls’ High School Mt. Lavinia 3-2. Priyadarshani won the first set comfortably but Fernando won the next two sets to give the promising paddler a torrid time. Yet Priyadarshani, who remained calm, bounced back to win the final two sets and clinch the championship, followed by the prestigious award for the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament in the girls’ category.
In the Under- 12 Singles final Hansani Piyumala of Anula Vidyalaya comfortably beat Imasha de Silva of Dhar masoka Ambalangoda by three sets to one, after losing the opening set.The tournament was organized by the North Western Province Table Tennis Association.– Naushad Amit
RESULTS
U-10 Girls: Dilmi Colambage of Prajapathi Balika, Ambalangoda beat Ahika Sathsarani of Dharmasoka, Ambalangoda (11/6, 3/11, 11/8, 15/13)
U-10 Boys: Dewmith Weerasena of Lyceum Nugagoda beat Isuru Hansa Methmal of Kegalu Vidyalaya (11/9, 11/9, 6/11, 8/11, 11/9)
U-12 Girls: Hansani Piyumila of Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda beat Imasha de Silva, Dharmasaoka College, Ambalangoda (5/11, 11/7, 11/9, 12/10)
U-12 Boys: Lithmina Mahanama of Wesley College, Colombo beat Thenuka Dinujaya of Kegalu Vidyalaya (11/6, 11/6, 12/10)
U-15 Girls: Muthumali Priyadarshani of Devanada College, Ambalangoda beat Chamathsara Fernando of Girls High School Mt. Lavinia (11/6, 10/12, 6/11, 11/4, 11/6)
U-15 Boys: Udaya Ranasinghe of Vidyartha College, Kandy beat Chinthaka Ekanayake of Vidyartha College, Kandy (6/11, 11/5, 11/8, 11/9)
U-18 Girls: Erandi Warusavithana of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda beat Muthumali Priyadarshani of Devanada College, Ambalangoda (11/4, 11/6, 8/11, 11/6)
U-18 Boys: Udaya Ranasinghe of Vidyartha College, Kandy beat Thilina Wijesiri of Vidyartha College, Kandy (11/9, 12/10, 10/12, 11/6)
Most outstanding Girls player: Muthumali Priyadarshani of Devananda College, Ambalangoda
Most outstanding Boys player: Udaya Ranasinghe, Vidyartha College, Kandy