Rohan and Ishara fancied to win Men’s and Women’s T.T. titles

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

Top seeded Rohan Sirisena (Men’s Singles) and Ishara Madurangi (Ladies Singles) both from Sri Lanka Air Force should go out firm favourites to win the Senior National Championship titles when the 66th Senior National Table Tennis Nationals organised by the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka gets under way at the Jagath Rajapakse International Table Tennis Stadium at Doluwa off Peradeniya today – Sunday 6th and the finals will be worked off on Monday – January 7th.

Over 250 paddlers, the cream of the table tennis players from the country have entered this major championship which will decided the national champion.

Last year Rohan Sirisena won the men’s national championship by defeating Nirmal Jayasinghe in the finals. In the main event for men Rohan Sirisena is the top seed while Nirmal Jayasinghe is the bottom seed. But players like Dinesh Deshapriya, Udaya Ranasinghe, Lalith Priyantha could pose them a big threat.

Ishara Madurangi is the main contender for national championship title for ladies and is top-seeded and schoolgirls from Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda is the bottom seed. They were also the finalists last year with Ishara Madurangi winning with ease. Apart from the men’s and ladies singles, the other events which are expected to be worked off are men’s an ladies doubles, mixed doubles, Veterans’ singles, Masters, singles and a championship for Disabled ones which will feature the soldiers who were injured. Some of them will be also seen in action in wheelchairs.