Praveena and Nirmala shine at Central Province TT
By Shamseer Jaleel
Praveena Silva claimed a title double while former national champion Nirmal Jayasinghe of MAS Intimates won the Men’s Open Singles championship, at the 2nd Central Province Table Tennis Championship, worked off at the Jagath Rajapakse International Table Tennis Stadium in Doluwa, Gampola recently.
Seventeen-year-old Silva from Kandy Girls’ High School played outstandingly to clinch the Girls’ Under 18 Singles title, defeating Ochini Dissanayake of Mahamaya Girls’ College 3-1 before sealing her double by winning the Open Women’s Singles trophy by beating Samadhi Hettiarachchi of Mahamaya Girls’ College 3-0.
The 2012 national singles champion, Nirmal Jayasinghe of MAS Holdings, won the Open Men’s Singles division by defeating Vidyartha College schoolboy Chinthaka Ekanayake 3-1. Ekanayake showed a lot of early enterprise, going on to snatch the first set.
However, Nirmal then embarked on an impressive streak, winning the next three sets in a row.
Boys’ Under 8 (Tamara Hewage Challenge Shield)-
Gimhan Perera (Dharmaraja College) beat Varuna Abeyratne (Dharmaraja College) 12/10, 1/6, 2-0.
Girls’ Under 8- Dimangi Ramanayake (Girls High School, Kandy) beat Savini Ratwatte (Girls High School, Kandy) 11/7, 11/8, 2-0.
Boys’ Under 10- S M N U Bandara Challenge Shield)
K R M Rasheed (Kingswood College) beat H I Rodrigo (Dharmaraja College) 11/9, 1/7, 2-0.
Girls’ Under 10- (Lilamani de Soysa Challenge Shield)
Kamini Malalapola (Hillwood College) beat Chamara Senaviratne (Mahamaya Girls College) 12/10, 11/7, 2-0.
Boys’ Under 12 (Ranil and Shirleen Jayanetti Challenge Shield)
Chandupa Abeykoon (Kingswood College) beat Savinda Tennakoon (Dharmaraja College) 8/11, 7/11, 13/1, 9/11 3-1.
Girls’ Under 12
Pujani Wittachchi (Good Shepherd Convent, Kandy) beat Dinithi Dissanayake (Mahamaya Girls’ College) 13/11, 11/9, 11/3, 3-0.
Boys’ Under 15 (Buddhika Amarasinghe Challenge Shield)
Chathura Gunasekera (Sussex College, Kandy) beat Savindu Jayasekera (Vidyartha College) 11/4, 12/14, 11/9, 11/8.
Girls Under 15- Samadhi Hettiarachchi (Mahamaya Girls College) beat Thanushi Rodrigo (Mahamaya Girls’ College) 11/5, 11/6, 6/11, 7/1, 12/10.
Girls’ Under 18 (Samanta Jayadewa Challenge Shield)
Praveena Silva (Girls High School) beat Ochini Dissanayake (Mahamaya Girls’ College) 11/9, 5/11, 11/3, 15/13, 3-1.
Boys’ Under 18 (Rishan Neelawala Challenge Shield)
Chinthaka Ekanayake (Vidyartha College) beat P. C. P. Tennakoon (Dharmaraja College) 11/8, 11/8, 11/8.
Open Mixed Veterans- Gamini Silva beat JagathRajapakse.
Open Men’s Singles (Direeksz Challenge Shield)
Nirmal Jayasinghe (MAS Holdings) beat Chinthaka Ekanayake (Vidyartha College) 7/11, 11/5, 11/9, 11/7, 3-1.
Open Women’s Singles (Direeksz–Berrie Challenge Shield)
Praveena Silva (Girls High School) beat Samadi Hettiarachchi (Mahamaya Girls’ College) 11/6, 11/2, 11/9, 3-0.
Most Promising Player: Boys: M R M Rasheed (Kingswood College)
Most Promising Player: Girls: Dimangi Ramanayake (Girls’ High School)
