T.T. Star Gihan Liyanage off to Australia

By Upananda Jayasundera - Kandy Sports Special Corr

TABLE TENNIS: In Sri Lanka it is a rare thing for a person to do sports at an international level as well as studies at a top level. Here is Gihan Madhusika Liyanage - an international table tennis player who has got a 'break' to do higher studies in Business Management at the University of Holmes in Melbourne, Australia.

An old boy of Dharmaraja College, Kandy, Gihan had his primary education at Vidyartha College. He started table tennis, at the age of six years under the watchful eyes of talented coach Buddhika Dikkumbura. He was also coached by Chaminda Rodrigo.

Going through recent records of sportsmen, it comes to mind that sportsmen and sportswomen like Dr. Sarath Seneviratne (cricket), Dr. S. Lucas (table tennis), Shanthi de Abrew (athletics), Gamini Goonesena, Malsiri Kurukulasuriya, Dr. Buddy Reid, Dr. C. Balakrishnan, P. I. Pieris, F. C. de Saram, Dr. H. I. K. Fernando, Kumar Sangakkara all cricketers athletes Nagalingam Ethirveerasingham and Nirmala Dissanayake (athletics), Thilina Piyadasa (table tennis), Dushantha Leuke (rugby football) who excelled in studies also came upto international level in various sports.

Gihan Liyanage's fancied sport was table tennis. In his young days he won the under 11 Junior National Title in 1999, the under 13 title in 2000 and under 15 title in 2001.

But, he had to mark time till 2005 to win the under 17 title as he was runner-up in 2002 to 2004. He was picked as the Best Table Tennis Player of Sri Lanka in 2005 at the age of 16 years.

His attempt at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia in 2006 was not successful.

He was successful at junior level tournaments in Maldives, Bangladesh and India where he won the Silver Medal at the Junior South Asian Championship.

Earlier this month- June 7 to be exact, he left for Melbourne, Australia to follow a four-year degree course in Business Management. He hopes to keep a tag with table tennis too besides his studies.