TT can go places if properly organised

Pavilion View by Leslie Fernando

Table Tennis The game of Table Tennis is one sport that can make an impact, internationally if it is properly organised and harnessed. In the past some of our players have beaten of a number of international players. The ability of our veteran players to match the players drawn from China, Japan, Hungary and Russia came in for high praise, said former Sri Lanka's Women's captain Belle Wirakoon who is presently back in her home town Kandy. She had her education at St. Paule's Milagiriya.

Popularly known as Belle, she said that our present players can come up to good level if Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka puts the game one the correct path. The TTASL should be very fair on all important issues.

"We had top officials who did honest and yeoman service and this includes two Judges A. Vythialingam and D. L. Salgado and P. V. Gopalakrishana and Anto Fernandopulle (both good players too)" said.

Belle 'I started playing the game in 1948. I never had a coach but watched Francis Siriwardena, a former ace women's player play and practised with her. Eventually I beat her at tournaments, Belle said.

Speaking about herself, she said that she won the women's singles national title 13 times and 12 times she was runner-up. She went to England in 1954 at her own expense and received training from Jack Garrinton, English TT team coach and one time UK champion.

She said that practice makes a player perfect. Players should practise 4 to 5 hours daily. I used to go for practices straight after work at Central Telegraph Office. Present day players have improved and they should be put on the correct path and trained by experienced coachers." Wirakoon said.

Belle who has captained Sri Lanka women's team for afro-Asian and Latin American TT Championships in China in 1973 said that her TT knowledge was not made use of by the TTASL,

Belle Wirakoon said that she gave up playing table tennis in 1978 due to lot of interference by the Sports Ministry then. The officials involved in politics did not like straight forward people.

Our players cannot achieve international fame by merely indulging playing the game as a recreation and goodwill like training for 90 minutes a day in the evenings.

The game has to be planned out well as international competition is fierce.

Touch of professionalism necessary

Semi professionalism is essential for the table tennis players to come up to international standard necessary. Earlier we played as amateurs. The most foreign players are professionals. In addition an expert foreign coach is also necessary. The Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka and the Sports Ministry should join hands to put the game back to its former glory, said Annesley Gomez, the star player who was the national champion on five occasions and captain of Sri Lanka team too.

Annesley pointed out that the players in the public sector should be provided with finances, employment.

The institutions should support the players. Then the players should have some professional outlook with longer hours of training. Then Sri Lanka will be bale to get better results.

The Sports Ministry should paly a vital role in providing a foreign coach for the players. Because the knowledge of the coach will help the players. There are only a limited number of local coachers here. They also must be trained abroad to learn the new techniques of the game.

Annesley, a former St. Joseph's College Bandarawela sportsman, said he achieved success due to his own determination. He captained the men's team at the Afro-Asian and Latin American TT Championships in China in 1973. He also had the opportunity of undergoing training under a top Chinese coach. He said that in 1975, Sri Lanka team:- Ramesh Dharamadas, Angelo Santiago, Jothipala Samaraweera and himself achieved the best results in 1975 in China, being placed 17th amongst the 83 countries which participated. Dharmadas foxed some of the best players with anti-spin, using the normal rubber racquet.

The authorities also should send players for more international tournaments. The present standard is at a low level compared, to other Asian countries. My suggestion is also that the players should be sent to India to play more matches. " said Gomez. Gone are the days where had outstanding and dedicated players (to name a few): Dr. Nimal Lucas, N.H. Perera, Jothipala, Dharmadas, A. P. Issadeen, Melvani brothers, Ashok, Suresh, Santiago, Anto Fernandopulle, Sam Rudolph, Ranjan Rodrigo, B. N. R. Mendis, E. Ponniah, R. Jospeh, Deepak Naraindas, Belle Wirakoon, Srini Lucas, Nandanie Daniel, Udeshi, Sharmani Wijetunga, Corrine Dharmaratne who got better results for the country.

The clarion call at this stage should be to rally round the past players and benefactors of table tennis to join hands to put the game back to former standard, said Annesley who has now retired from Bartleets.

He was employed first at Lewis Browns. He represented both firms and YMCA Colombo at the game he loved.

Proper planning needed

Table Tennis a sport very popular decades ago, has failed to make much headway. But the Western countries with whom Sri Lanka had the better of exchanges in the past have improved their standards.

This attributed to proper planning and the players dedication to put the players on the correct lines and train them by experienced coaches. This is the opinion of N. H. Perera former national champion and a diploma holder and qualified coach who graduated from the Asian Table Tennis Union and also spent much time for this sport as a player and administrator.

"I feel the standard of the game has dropped. The reason is no dedication by the players, no proper training programmes, no exposure in proper manner, younger players not provided match experience, boys and girls not sent regularly for foreign training," said 'N. H.-whose 'first love' is table tennis. He started playing the game in 1965 under Master Paul. His practice partners those days were Lakdasa Perera and Rasiah Kulasingham.

Former Nalanda, CMC, BMC ace player hit the top fast due to commitment and responsibility. He has won the national and is the most travelled players, only Sri Lankan to reach the quarter-finals in the men's consolation round at the 33rd World TT championships in Culcutta in 1975. 'N. H.' also beat the world No. 2 Chinese and world number 3 Japanese players at the TT Test matches played in Colombo in 1971 and 1975. Perera said that the TTASL should hold more coaching camps, junior and senior pools to be formed in each province, to conduct district school competition from ages 12 to 18, series of exhibition games by well known exponents to be arranged with film shows on table tennis to be staged throughout the island, a permanent junior pool to serve as a nursery with practice sessions during the weekends to be trained by coaches.

'N. H.' who has retired as Marketing Manager, United Arab Shipping Lines and now involved in full-time coaching at Royal and Ladies College, said that considering the above facts if the authorities concerned could implement the suggestions we will have thousands of table tennis players playing the game.

The juniors who are trying to reach the top will definitely reach international standards before long.

Young players talented

There are young and potential players involved in table tennis at present, and if the authorities of the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka join hands with the Ministry of Education and the Sports Ministry the game can improve. This is the view of Jothpala Samaraweera who was the best 'pen-holder' grip player Sri Lanka had in the late 1960s. T. T. fans called him the 'Little Dynamite'.

'Jothi' a former St. John's Dematagoda schoolboy, rose to great heights and has won the national title several times. He has represented Sri Lanka at the Afro-Asian TT Championships, Latin-American World Championship, Asian Union Championships in 1972 where he beat Philippians No. 1, Nepal's No. 2 and Iraq's No. 1. said that he became an outstanding player because of his tremendous enthusiasm and hard training.

Jothi who joined the CMC along with his 'guru' N. H. Perera produced national champions from the City's Community Centres. Both left and joined BMC later. Jothipala paid a tribute to D. H. de Silva, a name well-known in cricket circles.

He was the Charity Commissioner cum Chief Playground Instructor and late B. A. Jayasinghe for all the encouragement and help extended to him for his progress.

Jothipala whose speed and sparkling stroke play delighted the spectators added that the players should have good all-round strokes and possess a supple body. The players get tired soon as they lack stamina and must realise the importance of road work and must run seven to eight miles every day to gain stamina and avoid cramps, fatigue and wobbling knees.

Jothi who also had training in China and at one time ranked no 48 in the world, is presently, retired and is involved in full-time private coaching.

'Catch 'em young'

Catch them young and offer all assistance and facilities then Sri Lanka can have plenty of good table tennis players. In China, Japan and even in India the authorities go round finding hidden talent and all the encouragement and assistance is given and they are well looked after, then we can have plenty of players.

This is the view of Swarna Peiris nee Rodrigo who has won several national titles in her 13-year career. Swarna who was the first woman from the Playgrounds and Community Centres of CMC to win the national title, said that most of the players are more involved in studies and additional classes and do not devote much time for table tennis.

If Sri Lanka is to improve in the game and match countries like China, Japan and India, the youngsters should be found everything and allowed to play full-time table tennis. Their lifestyle has to be changed.

Swarna who has represented the country at several international matches in South Korea, Malaysia, India and Pakistan added that the standard among the women table tennis players is not so high. There are only a few players upto good level.

Her opinion is that unless proper facilities are provided and a full time coach is made available for the players, the sport is unlikely to produce champions in the calibre of Belle Wirakoon, Nandani Daniel, Srini Lucas, Nanadani Udeshi, Preethi Swaris, Tamara Hewage, Lilamani de Silva, Shyamalee Dias and Namal Gunasekera.

Swarna who is presently attached to Brown and Company said that the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka, Education Ministry and the Sports Ministry should give all assistance to the association to take this sport to the districts to harness young talent.