Schoolgirl Bimandee and undergrad Chameera win national titles
Bimandee Bandara of Hillwood College, Kandy (HCK), and Chameera Ginige of University of Sri Jayawardenepura (UoSJ) clinched the Women’s and Men’s Championships respectively, at the 72nd National Table Tennis (TT) Championship 2018 conducted at the Sri Lanka Army, Indoor Stadium in Panagoda last weekend.
Organised and conducted by the Interim Committee of the TT Association of Sri Lanka, the 2-day event was dominated by schoolboys, schoolgirls and university undergraduates.
For their excellent performance in winning the National titles Bimandee Bandara and Chameera Ginige were adjudged the Most Outstanding Players of the Tournament in both categories. Ginige went on to win a Double crown, winning the Open Men’s Doubles event, partnering Sri Lanka captain Rohan Sirisena of STAG TT Academy (STTA).
The game of the tournament was the Open Men’s Finals where Ginige locked horns with National captain Rohan Sirisena. It was a game where fortunes swung from side to side, but at last young Ginige walked away as champ. The game got off at a terrific pace as both players made use of their skills, experience and talent to keep the spectators on the edge of their seats, with Sirisena winning the 1st, 3rd and 4th Sets while Ginige came back and won the vital 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th Sets. to walk away with the glittering champion trophy.
Sirsena too won a Double crown, winning the Open Mixed Doubles event partnering Ishara Madurangi.
Results
Open Singles
Women: Bimandee Bandara (HCK) beat Muthumali Priyadarshani (CSCT Campus) 4-0 (11-2, 11-4, 12-10, 11-5)
Men: Chameera Ginige (UoSJ) beat Rohan Sirisena (STTA) 4-3 (9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9)
Open Doubles
Women: JitharaWarnakulasooriya (Ladies College, Colombo)-Thanushi Rodrigo (Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy) beat Bimandee Bandara (HCK)-Chamathsara Fernando (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6)
Men: Chameera Ginige (UoSJ)-Rohan Sirisena (STTA) beat Supuna Warusawithana (University of Moratuwa)-HirunaWarusawithana (Ananda College, Colombo) 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-6)
Open Mixed Doubles: Rohan Sirisena (STTA)-IsharaMadurangi (SL Ports Authority) beat KrishanWickramarathne (Vidyartha Old Boys’ TT Club)-Bimandee Bandara (HCK) 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-2)
Consolation Singles
Women: Thamodhi Anuradha (Sri Lanka Army) beat Oneli Lehansa (Musaeus College, Colombo) 2-0 (16-14, 11-5)
Men: Safiullah Akram (AL-Uda International School) beat Sithum Niranga (Loyola College, Bopitiiya) 2-0 (11-6, 11-6)