Royal TT is back to winning ways
View(s):The Royal College Table Tennis team pulled off several thrilling victories in the year 2015 to show that they are back to winning ways after having dominated the Table Tennis arena in the past.
Royal U15 TT
At the National School Games held in September 2015 at the S .Thomas’ College Indoor Stadium, Mt. Lavinia the under 15 team went entered the tournament as defending champions and firm favourites, whereas the under 19 team was up against stiff competition having last tasted victory in 2005 and not having reached the finals since 2006.
The under 15 team beat Kingswood College, Kandy in the quarter-finals 3-2, beat Dudley Senanayaka College in the semi-finals 3-1 and beat the strong Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda 3-1 in the finals to defend the title.
The under 19 team beat Devananda College, Ambalangoda in the quarte- finals 3-0. In the meantime Dharmaraja College, Kandy held their nerve to beat Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda 3-2, a team which had emerged champions many times in the past and the second favourites behind a very strong Vidyartha College, Kandy side.
The Royal team was up against Dharmaraja College in the semi-finals, a team which had dominated most of the national school tournaments in the past.
Royal U 19 TT
The Royal paddlers eventually emerged winners in the semi- finals 3-1 thus making it to the finals for the first time since 2006.
They were up against a very strong and balanced Vidyartha College Kandy, the defending champions and also had the 17-year-old current National Champion in their team.
The Royal paddlers eventually went down to the Vidyartha College paddlers in a hard fought match, thus ending up as the runners-up.
In the all-important A division Vidyartha College A, Kandy were firm favourites having won this title for many years consecutively.
The Royal A team was placed alongside Dharmasoka A and Dharmaraja A. The Royal A team beat both Dharmasoka A and Dharmaraja A 3-0 in the group stages, thus establishing dominance and firm contention for title.
Then the Royal A team beat Vidyartha College B team in the quarter-finals 3-0 and in the semi-finals they were up against Dharmaraja College A team who were beaten once again at 3-0 to reach the finals having last won the under 16 A division title in 2006.
In the finals they met Vidyartha College A team. Despite many schools from Kandy cheering vehemently against Royal, they kept the nerve and emerged victorious at 3-2 in a closely contested finals at the All Island Under 16 Inter School TT Tournament played at the Mt. Lavinia.
In the Under 10 segment of the same tournament Royal B team had a tough time having lost to Vidyartha A in their group stages.
However, the B team too reached the semi-finals and once again met Vidyartha A team. Though they lost 3-1, it was anybody’s match as some of the fancied players from Vidyartha college were fully stretched by the Royal College lads.
The determination and self confidence of the Royal B team was quite admirable. It was after many years that both the Royal A and B teams came to the semi-finals of an A division event.
In the B division, the Royal C team entered the semi-finals having beaten Maliyadeva College A 3-1. They lost to Sussex College A team in the semi-finals 3-1, the eventual winners in that division.
In the under 10 age group, the Royal ‘A’ B and C teams participated in the A division B division and C division respectively.
In this category too the Royal College A team, B team and the C team were awarded three stars, the highest accolade in the A, B and C divisions. The D team playing in the C division too was awarded one Star.
In the All Island under 19 and under 14 Inter-Schools table tennis tournaments held in March 2015 at the S .Thomas College Indoor Stadium in Mt. Lavinia Royal College were placed as follows;
Under 19 A division – 3rd place
Under 19 B division – 1st place
Under 14 A division -1st (last won 10 years ago)
Under 14 B division – 3rd place
Under 14 C division – 1st place
The Under 19 team won the championship defeating Ananda College 3-2 while the Under 15 team too became Champions beating Sri Sumangala College, Panadura 3-0 in the finals at the Western Province Schools worked off at the Sri Sumangala College.
The Royal College Table Tennis team captained by Abdur Rahmaan Azeez were coached by Wajira Wickramasinghe and Chandika Kumara.
Thus with these victories the Royal paddlers established themselves as a force to be reckoned with and the team to beat. – LR