Nimesh and Hansani lead the Lankan Junior TT teams
View(s):Sri Lanka Junior, Cadet and Hopes teams left last Thursday (April 19) to Male, Maldives to take part in the South Asian Junior, Cadet and Hopes Table Tennis Championship 2018. The championship commenced on April 20 and will end on April 22 with the participation of six south Asian countries, the Asian giant India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. The championship will also be used to select the south Asian nations for the Asian championship which is scheduled to be held in August 2018 in Myanmar.
Hansani (Jr Girls Cap)
Nimesh (Jr Boys Cap)
Royalist Nimesh Ranchagoda and, Visakhian Hansani Piyumila will lead the Sri Lanka Junior table tennis teams while Hiruna Warusawithana of Darmashoka College and Jithara Warnakulasuriya of Ladies’ college lead the Cadet teams respectively. This is Hansani’s nineteenth Sri Lanka representation including senior and junior categories and, Nimesh’s fifth representation. The team is coached by D.M.G.S.Kumara and Buddhika Dikkumbura and the manger is Rahal Abeyrathne.
The players were selected after a rigorous selection criterion including very competitive selection matches during two days in a league basis. The team manager and the coaches are confident that Sri Lanka can compete evenly with the south Asian giants and secure to qualify for the Asian Championship, 2018 with some exceptional performances as the team is well balanced with experience and talent. Last year Sri Lanka hosted the championship in Colombo and, secured 6 silver medals and 7 bronze medals.
THE SQUAD
Junior Boys Team: Nimesh Ranchagoda (Captain – Royal College), Chandupa Alahakoon (Kingswood College, Kandy), Dishanka Thennakoon (Dharmaraja College, Kandy) and Isuru Anjana (Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda)
Junior Girls Team: Hansani Piyumila (Captain – Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo), D.H. Kolambage (Prajapathi Gothami Girls College, Ambalangoda), Imasha De Silva (Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda) and Ayla Chitty
(Ladies’ College, Colombo)
Cadet Boys Team: Hiruna Warusawithana
Jithara (Cadet Cap)
Hiruna (Cadet Cap)
(Captain – Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda), Chanul Dulsen (Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda) and Senura Silva (Ananda College, Colombo)
Cadet Girls Team: Jithara Warnakulasuriya (Captain – Ladies’ College, Colombo), Sanaya Buddhadasa (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) and Kavishka Kavindi (Dharamasoka College, Ambalangoda)
Hopes Boys: Oshan Senaratharachchi (Royal College, Colombo)
Hopes Girls: Navindi Seneviratne
(Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya)
Coaches: D.M.G.S. Kumara, Buddhika Dikkumbura
Team Manager: Rahal Abeyrathne
Lady Chaperon: Ms. U.P.D.D. Udagedara
– Lakshman Ranasinghe