Wesley College’s newest table tennis prodigy, Ashen Wijeratne impressed many, while shocking some of the hot contenders, to become the Most Outstanding Player at the Western Province Boys and Girls Junior Novices Table Tennis Championship 2012, held at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Stadium in Mt. Lavinia last week. Wijeratne (14), who has been one [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Wijeratne stuns the rest while taking Wesley to the pinnacle

By Naushad Amit ; Pix by Amila Gamage
Bags Most Outstanding Player of the tournament while Mihinsa de Alwis emerges best amongst girls
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Ashen Wijeratne

Wesley College’s newest table tennis prodigy, Ashen Wijeratne impressed many, while shocking some of the hot contenders, to become the Most Outstanding Player at the Western Province Boys and Girls Junior Novices Table Tennis Championship 2012, held at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Stadium in Mt. Lavinia last week.

Wijeratne (14), who has been one of the promising paddlers to come out of Wesley in recent years, showed what he is capable

Mihinsa de Alwis

of by winning the boys’ under-15 singles and under-18 doubles titles, while also emerging runner-up in the under-18 singles category.

While Wijeratne dominated the boys’ category, Mihinsa de Alwis of Lyceum International School Wattala produced sterling performances to storm the girls’ category. She went on to clinch the award presented to the most outstanding player among the girls by winning the singles titles in the girls’ under-12 and under-15 age categories while also claiming the doubles championship in the under-12 age group.

Wijeratne was in top form as he beat C. Indrajith of D.S. Senanayake College in the boys’ under-15 singles final on his way to winning his maiden individual award in a major tournament. Wijeratne also competed in the under-18 age category and beat many opponents who were considered favourites. He entered the boys’ under-18 singles final but went down fighting against Avishka Maitipe of St. Peter’s College Colombo. But later Wijeratne paired up with teammate Senal Dahanayake to make amendments and clinch the boys’ under-18 doubles title. Wijeratne and Dahanayake were ruthless as they went on to beat the pairing of Keshan

Ashen in action

Perera of Isipathana and Mohamed Imrad of Lalith Athulathmudali MV in the doubles final.
The paddlers of Royal College dominated the boys’ under-12 age group as they swept both the singles and doubles championships with ease. Livan Aloysius was at his best as he went on to win the under-12 singles title, beating Sanjula Peiris of St. Peter’s College. In the doubles final, Aloysius and his partner Oditha Gamage went on to beat teammates Kavinda Suranga and Isiwara Dissanayake. In the girls’ category, Mihinsa was greatly exhilarating against her opponents. She beat Dilanya Munasinghe of Musaeus to clinch the under-15 singles championship after drubbing Upamali Rodrigo of Ladies College in the battle for the under-12 singles plum. Mihinsa paired up with Dilani Perera of Holy Cross to beat Upamali and Alana Seneviratne of Ladies College to grab the girls’ under-12 doubles championship.

The tournament was held to coincide with Children’s Day for the 32nd occasion in Sri Lanka. It was organized by the Friendship Table Tennis Club where former national greats Jothipala Samaraweera, Ira Ruwanpathirana and Rohan Ganegoda are key figures in guiding young talent to the next level.

Results of the Friendship Table Tennis Championship 2012

Girls’ Under-8 Singles: Nethhara Ruwanpura of Lyceum Int’l, Wattala (Champion) beat Sanaya Buddhadasa of Vishaka Vidyalaya
Girls’ Under-10 Singles: Anoushka de Silva of Ladies College (Champion) beat Ayla Chitty of Ladies College
Girls’ Under-12 Singles: Mihinsa de Alwis of Lyceum Int’l Wattala (Champion) beat Upamali Rodrigo of Ladies College
Girls’ Under-12 Doubles: Dilani Bimalka Perera of Holy Cross and Mihinsa de Alwis of Lyceum Int’l Wattala (Champions) beat Upamali Rodrigo and Alana Senevirathne of Ladies College
Girls’ Under-15 Singles: Mihinsa de Alwis of Lyceum Int’l, Wattala (Champion) beat Dilanya Munasinghe of Musaeus College
Girls’ Under-18 Singles: Vinodya de Silva of Royal Institute (Champion) beat Dilani Bimalka Perera of Holy Cross
Girls’ Under-18 Doubles: Vinodya de Silva and Janathri de Silva of Royal Institute (Champions) beat Sethma Nethmini Weerasinghe and Sanja Vehara Kodithuwakku of Anula Vidyalaya
Most outstanding Player of the Tournament – Girls – Mihinsa de Alwis- Lyceum Wattala
Boys Under-8 Singles: Aadesh Jayathevan of S. Thomas College, Mt. Lavinia (Champion) beat Senura Dilanka Silva of Isipathana College
Boys Under-10 Singles: Yohan Gomes of S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia (Champion) beat I. Dissanayake of Royal College
Boys Under-12 Singles: Livan Aloysias of Royal College (Champion) beat Sanjula Peiris of St. Peter’s College
Boys Under-12 Doubles: L. Aloysius and Oditha Gamage of Royal College Champions) beat Kavinda Suranga and Isiwara Dissanayake of Royal College
Boys Under-15 Singles: Ashen Wijeratne of Wesley College (Champion) beat C. Indrajith of D.S. Senanayake College
Boys Under-18 Single: Avishka Maitipe of St. Peter’s College (Champion) beat Ashen Wijeratne of Wesley College
Boys Under-18 Doubles: S. Dahanayake and Ashen Wijeratne of Wesley College (Champions) beat Tharindu Keshan Perera of Isipathana and Mohamed Imrad of Lalith Athilathmudali MV
Most outstanding player of the Tournament – Boys – Ashen Wijeratne Wesley College.

Champions and the Runners-up with the organizers and Chief Guest Wijesinghe Kumarage President of the National Services Table Tennis Association and Manager National Savings Bank




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