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| Sunday, 1 August 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Sajith Kavinda : Racquet Crazy by Kaminie Jayanthi Liyanage
It is no wonder. For 'TT' makes him mad. If one is to go by the number of matches he had played in the last few years. And to have played last month for under 15 boys in the World Circuit Junior Table Tennis Championships held in the city of Taiyuan, China, was for this junior paddler a decisive 'high' in his enthusiastic scramble for more and more TT strides. In this Championship, considered for world ranking by both the International TT Federation (ITTF) and the Asian TT Union (ATTU), Sajith advanced to the Quarter Finals, winning praise for displaying good control and temperament among more experienced world circuit players. Compared to the young Chinese players who became world champions and exchanged in mute jargon "Nihao" (hello) and "Pingua" (apple) with the gallantly enterprising young Sri Lankans, "Our game is slow," observes Sajith. "They play so fast - that's why our players seem sub-standard."
Sajith's road to TT success began years ago when he began hitting the wall with the table tennis racquet while being a junior student at St. Joseph's College, Colombo, when Rev. Bro. Placidus Perera was its Principal. "My Principal knew the value of sports and wanted us to come and practice TT. He bought me a racquet and entered me into the under 11 team," Sajith described his first entry into recognition as a table tennis player. What are the game tips which sailed him along? "In tops spin, you must exercise very good concentration. Stare in your opponent's eye until he blacks out and then strike," is this young veteran's advice to the TT green horns. From the 8th Grade, Sajith progressed to St. Benedict's College, Colombo, and wrote his success story with the help of National Coach P.D. Ratnasiri, who was then the Co-ordinator of the Sri Lanka Table Tennis Association (SLTTA). He counts among his major achievements winning the triple crown at the Gampaha District Table Tennis Championships, and the Brilliant Achievement Award from the Sri Lanka Schools Table Tennis Association in 2002, and the Mayor's Cup Tournament and Inter Community Centre and Play Ground Table Tennis Tournament of the Colombo Municipal Council Sports and Recreation Department, in 2003. He has also been the St. Joseph's best player under 12 and 13, and the novices-singles champ under 13 at the Western Province Table Tennis Championships 2002, the under 15, 17 and 19 singles winner of Colombo Tennis Club, winning many more playing for Colombo Table Tennis Club, Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Schools Table Tennis Association and participating in the Asian/German Sports Exchange Programme championships in 2002. One thing that needs to be mentioned in this story is the difficulties young school sports enthusiasts undergo, trying to organise finances, once they are chosen to represent the country in overseas tournaments. Sajith too had to struggle to get his TT gear and other expenses needed for the trip. Help came to this young Ben from his college staff and its former Principal Rev. Bro. Alexander Cyrilus and Coach A.W. Arnolda of Devananda College, Ambalangoda. Sajith's mother, who is also St. Benedict's English teacher, had to improvise ways of securing the rest of the money, while Secretary, SLTTA, Chandana Perera, helped to get the trip going. "Even the rubber of a TT racquet costs Rs.2,500," says a dampened Sajith. "We use a rubber for as long as one whole year. But these world players discard one in two weeks. In China, we saw players removing and refastening the rubber onto the racquet while the play was in progress. It is supposed to make your delivery faster." "As long as your eye can see the ball, you can stay in the game," says the ever-optimistic Sajith. "There are age barriers to TT!" |
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| Produced by Lake House |
When Sajith Kavinda walked into the Sunday Observer Editorial with his
mother, Srimathi Liyanage, he had in his suitcase, probably the largest
number of cups, medals, awards and certificates any youngster of 15 years
would have brought into Lake House in recent times.
Early this month, he was back in his element by becoming the runner up
in the under 15 group in the Third Inter-School Tennis Championships. He
delivered through to the Quarter Finals in the under 19 group.
