Krishan and Ruvini take major TT honours
View(s):Krishan Wickramaratne and Ruvini Kannangara took major honours at the All-Island Open Ranking Table Tennis Championship 2015 which concluded last Monday at the Lumbini College Indoor Complex in Colombo. Kirshan of Vidyartha Colege Kandy and Ruvini of Musaeus College Colombo won two age group championships on their way to become the most outstanding players of the three-day competition, which began last Saturday (February 28).
Krishan won the Under-21 Boys’ Singles and Under-18 Boys’ Singles while Ruvini won the same titles on offer for girls. Krishan beat schoolmate Thilina Wijesiri 3-0, in a crunching three-setter, to clinch the Under-21 Boys’ Singles title after easily overcoming Prasad de Silva, another Vidyarthian, 3-0 to lift his first title of the tournament in the Under-18 Boys’ Singles event.
Ruvini had a rather contrasting contest against Hansini Piumala of Visakha Vidyalaya in the Under-18 Girls’ Singles final which went down to the last wire. After trailing 1-2, Ruvini bounced back to beat the much favoured paddler, Hansani by 3-2 in a thrilling five-setter to secure a well deserving win. After her grueling battle, Ruvini went into the Under-21 Girls’ Singles final with much confidence to beat Dewmini Weerasena, a more experienced paddler from the same school, by 4-0 to secure a double.
Disanka Tennakoon of Dharmaraja College Kandy beat Helitha Hendavitharana of Royal College in a one-sided affair, to win the Under-15 Boys’ Singles title while Hansani tasted an early victory, overcoming Imasha de Silva of Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda to win the Under-15 Girls’ Singles title before going down to Ruvini later on.
Hiruna Warusavithana of Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda faced stiff challenge from Thisas Ranchagoda of Royal College before laying his hands on the Under-12 Boys’ Singles title with a thrilling 3-2 win. Nadithi Rehansa of Prajapathi Balika Vidyalaya Ambalangoda was given a close tussle by Ayla Chitty of Ladies’ College before she snatched the Under-12 Girls’ Singles championship after a thrilling five-setter.
Ananda College’s Senura Silva lost the first set but bounced back to record a 3-1 win against Hasindu Rodrigo of Dharmaraja College Kandy on his way to win the Under-10 Boys’ Singles title. Bimandee Bandara of Sussex College Kegalle and Dilini Thesanya of Prajapathi Balika Vidyalaya Ambalangoda provided the spectators a thrilling encounter in the Under-10 Girls’ Singles final as the former emerged victorious 3-2 after a ding-dong battle.
In the Men’s Singles final Sri Lanka captain Rohan Sirisena of Stag Table Tennis Academy beat Dinesh Deshapriya of Sri Lanka Navy by 4-2 in a seven-setter final while Erandi Warusavithana of Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda thrashed top favourite Ishara Madurangi by 4-0 in the Women’s Singles final. – NA