Ishara Madurangi – of Sri Lanka Air Force – complete a ‘triple’ at Open TT Tourney

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen – Kandy Sports Corr.

TABLE TENNIS: Sri Lanka’s No. 1 ranked Ishara Madurangi from Sri Lanka Air force became the Women’s singles champion and also completed a triple while No.3 ranked Nirmala Jayasinghe of MAS Intimates won the men’s singles title at the All Island Open Ranking Table Tennis Championships organised by the Kandy District Table Tennis Assocation and worked off at the Jagath Rajapakse International Table Tennis Stadium at Kalugammana off Peradeniya.

Ishara Madurangi a product of Dharmasoka College turned out to be the star of the meet winning three titles.

She first won the womens double partnered by Maulee Peiris also from Sri Lanka Air Force and they beat Ruhansi Weerakoon and Srimali Wimalaratne from the Sri Lanka Air Force by a comfortable margin of 3–0.

Her second title was in the Mixed Doubles, partnered by Sri Lanka’s No.1 ranked Rohan Sirisena of Sri Lanka Air Force to beat Shanika Silva and Nilush Lakshika from the Sri Lanka Air Force 3–0.

Her third win was in the Women’s singlets final when she scored a crushing 4–0 win over No. 2 ranked teenager Erandi Warusawitharne of Dharmasoka College with the loser putting up some sembalnce of a fight only in the third set going down 11/13.

Nirmala Jayasinghe of MAS Intimates, a product of Vidyartha College, Kandy with a national ranking of three came up with a brilliant performance to defeat No. two ranked Dinesh Deshapriya of Sri Lanka Navy, winning 4–3.

In fact it was Dinesh Deshapriya who started off well winning the first two sets 11/6 and 11/7 giving an indication of running through his opponent. But Nirmala Jayasinghe displayed his fighting spirit by winning the next two sets 11/8, and 11/7 to draw level. Deshapriya won the fifth set 11/9 to take the lead. In the ding-dong battle which followed, Nirmala Jayasinghe won the sixth set 11/5 to square up. It was in the crucial seventh set that Nirmala Jayansighe clinched the issue with a 11/8 win.

Erandi Warusawitharne won the girls under 18 title with a good 3–0 win over Runvini Kannangara of Musaese College, Colombo.

The boys under 4-18 title was snapped up by Chameera Ginige of Dharmasoka College by defeating Malith Diluksha of Sri Devananda College.

The men’s double title was won by No. 4 ranked Indika Prasad and Sukkitha Wickremanayake (ranked No. 7) when they beat Nirmala Jayasinghe and 15 year old Vidyartha College schoolboy Udaya Ranasinghe 3-0. The margin of victory was 12-10 in all three sets.

Sheshala Bandara of St. Joseph’s Girls College, Kegalle surprised Roshini Dahanayake of Holy Family Convent, Kurunegala to take the girls under-12 title.

It must be mentioned that this school from Kegalle has been making good progress in sports during the last few years especially at women’s cricket athletics and netball. They have also won the Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletic Championship for the last two years.

Overall Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda did well to win several titles in the junior category, thus displaying that they are a major force in table tennis.

Pesi Pestonjee, Chairman, Abans (Pvt) Limited was the chief guest and he distributed the main awards with several former national players, committee members including KDTTA President and National Coach Jagatha Rajapakse and Secretary Krishantha Karunanayke.

Over 550 paddlers from all parts of the country participated in this major championship which drew the best in the trade and credit should go to the Kandy District Table Tennis Association for having successfully conducted this meet.

Final Result

Under-10 girls: Imesha de Silva of Dharmarmasoka College, Ambalangoda beat Nathasha Sandavini of Maliyadeva BMV, Kurunegala 11/09, 07/11, 11/04, 11/07.

Under-12 girls: Sheshala Bandara of St. Joseph’s BMV, Kegalle beat Roshini Dahanayaka of Holy Family BMV, Kurunegala 11/6, 11/08, 13/11.

Under-15 girls: Ruvini Kannangara of Musaeus College beat Umaya Tharaki of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda 12/10, 05/11, 13/11, 11/08.

Under-18 girls: Erandi Warusavithana of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda beat Ruvini Kannangara of Musaeus College, Colombo 11/09, 11/07, 11/09.

Under-10 boys: Helitha Hendavitharana of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda beat Dewmith Weerasena of Lyceum International School, Nugegoda 11/06, 11/09, 09/11, 08/11, 1

1/06.

Under-12 boys: Dishanka Thennakoon of Dharmaraja College, Kandy beat Charith Wiman of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda 10/12, 12/10, 11/08, 08/11, 11/09.

Under-15 boys: Udaya Ranasinghe of Vidyartha College Kandy beat Nuwantha Niroshana of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda 11/09, 08/11, 11/02, 11/13, 11/08.

Under-18 boys: Chameera Ginige of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda beat Malith Dilusha of Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda 11/03, 07/11, 11/04, 11/02.

Mixed doubles: Ishara Madurangi/Roshan Sirisena of Sri Lanka Air Force beat Shanika Silva/Milinda Lakshitha of Sri Lanka Air Force 11/05, 11/07, 14/12.

Women’s doubles: Ishara Madurangi/Mavulee Peiris of Sri Lanka Air Force beat Ruhansi Wijekoon/Srimali Wimalarathna of Sri Lanka Air Force 11/09, 11/04, 11/07.

Men’s doubles: Indika Prasad/Sukitha Wickramanayaka of Sri Lanka Navy beat B.N.B. Jayasingha of MAS Intimates and Udaya Ranasinghe of Vidyartha College Kandy 12/10 12/10, 12/10.

Women’s singles: Ishara Madurangi of Sri Lanka Air Force beat Erandi Warusavithana of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda 11/5, 11/6, 13/11, 11/7.

Men’s singles: B.N.B. Jayasingha of MAS Intimates beat Dinesh Deshappriya of Sri Lanka Navy 06/11, 07/11, 11/07, 09/11, 11/8, 11-7, 11/08.