Lankans paddlers end another woeful tour
Sri Lanka (SL) finished 63rd and 61st in the Men's and Women's categories respectively, at the World Table Tennis Championship concluded in Halmstad Areana, Sweden recently, which had 72 Men's and Women's teams participating this year.
SL playing in the third Division, managed to win only one game each in the preliminary rounds of both Men and Women Paddlers. SL Men beat New Zealand 3-2, while the Women beat Maldives 3-0. The SL Women received a walkover from Bangladesh who abstained.
In the other first Round matches SL Men lost 0-3 to Mexico, 2-3 to South Africa, 1-3 to Uzbekistan and 2-3 to Congo, while the Women lost 0-3 to Norway 0-3, 1-3 to Bosnia and conceded a walkover to Wales for want of a player, as one of the Paddlers fell ill.
Due to their failure in the Preliminary Round, both SL teams were compelled to play in the Ranking Rounds. The Men recorded 3-1, 3-2 victories over Gauthamala and Jordan respectively, but went down 2-3 to Togo, which resulted in them falling to 63rd in rankings. The Women Paddlers received a walkover in their 1st match, and recorded 3-0, 3-2 wins against Mexico and Algeria respectively, to be ranked 61st in the World.
Sri Lanka Men's team was represented by Udaya Ranasinghe, Krishan Wickremaratne and Rohan Sirisena. Ranasinghe recorded victories over South Africa's Cogil Theo 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-9), Lawal Abiodun of Congo 3-2 (11-8, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7), New Zealander Shu Deen 3-1 (4-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-4), Guetemala's Gatica Hector 3-1 (11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6) and Khader Khaled of Jordan 3-2 (13-15, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5.
Sirisena used his experience to defeat S. African Mathole Terrence 3-1 (11-4, 11-5, 3-11, 11-6), Teshaboer Kutbidillo of Uzbekistan 3-1 (12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9), Kiwi Ball Mathew 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7), Gabica Hector of Guatemala 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-6), Jordanians Abo Zaid 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10) and Khader Khaled 3-1 (6-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-7).
Krishan Wickremaratne scored victories over Mavoungor Saheed 3-2 (8-11, 12-10, 11-4, 6-11, 11-4), New Zealand's Dela Pena Alfred 3-2 (4-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-4) and Gutierrez Allen of Guatemala 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 13-11).
Hansani Piumila, Ishara Madurangi and Jithara Warnakulasuriya represented Sri Lanka Women's team.
Madurangi defeated Markovic Snezana (Bosnia) 3-2 (14-12, 9-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9), Nazim Aishath (Maldives) 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-7), Arangay Noha (Morocco) 3-0 (13-11, 11-5, 11-6), Loghrhibi Lynda (Algeria) 3-1 (11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8) and Kessali Katia (Algeria) 3-2 (14-12, 9-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-8)
Piumila beat Ali Fathimath Dheem (Maldives) 3-2 (11-13, 11-13, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8), Outolla Ines (Morocco) 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-3)
Warnakulasuriya beat Mohamed Mueena (Maldives) 3-0 (11-7, 11-6 12-10) and Joutet Leila (Morocco) 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-4)