Now, Table Tennis goes to Jaffna in a big way

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

T.T: Table Tennis will go in a big way to the Northern Peninsula when the first ever Jaffna District Table Tennis Championship organised by the Jaffna District Table Tennis Association in collaboration with the Asian German Sports Exchange Programme and the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka and sponsored by Abans Limited gets under way at Jaffna Central College, Jaffna on December 27, 2011. The drew will be on December 26, 2011, at Jaffna Central College at 5 pm.

The Assistant General Secretary of the Asian German Sports Exchanges Programme Chandana Perera said that this programme is aimed at providing the children of Jaffna an opportunity of playing at competitive level in their own area before they could come over to other parts of the country to participate in open events. This will also provide them an opportunity to show their prowess and some hidden talents could be unearthed.

This programme will be overall handled by the Nilaweli Peace Village, Nilaweli, Trincomalee, who have done a lot for the people of the area in the past and sports is another area which they will be venturing into and considering their past experience and the organising skills, a good table tennis championship is in store for the Paddlers in the Jaffna District.

One must not forget the fact that barely three years ago a tournament of this nature in the heart of the Jaffna city would have been only a dream with the terrorists terrorising the area and who would like to send their children for a table tennis competition when their safe return was not certain. More than that the people of their area had their own problem and grappling problems created by the terrorists.

Then two years it was the military and political leadership given by His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the support of the forces and police crushed terrorism to such an extent that they would never raise their head again.

It was permanent peace for all. With this the process of war ravaged area development, resettlement and providing of recreation started and sports was one of them. People of the area are ever so grateful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for having brought about normalcy to the respective areas.

Table Tennis should provide a big boost to the children of the district and the organisers should be compliment for having taken this step.

The entries for this championship should reach J. Mohan, Honorary Secretary, Jaffna District Table Tennis Association, Jaffna Central College, Jaffna Telephone 0776158117. Entries wil close of December 5, 2011.

The events which will be worked off are: Girls and boys under-9 singles, Girls and Boys under-11 singles, Girls and Boys under-13 singles, Girls and Boys under-15 singles, Girls and Boys under-17 singles, Girls and Boys under-19 singles, Womens and Mens singles, Womens and Mens Veterans singles Over 40 years, Mens and Womens - Masters singles - Over 35 to 40 years. The maximum an individual could participate is only in two age group events. Further details could be had from Chandana Perera, Assistant General Secretary - Asian German Sports Exchange Programme, Tel. 071-4472400, or 0777-751345.