Senura and Bimandee clinch national junior table tennis titles
Senura Silva of Ananda College Colombo and Bimandee Bandara of Hillwood College Kandy emerged Junior National champions at the Table Tennis Junior National Championship concluded at the Bandaragama Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Senura the top seed paddler defeated his college mate Hiruna Warusavirhana 3-0 to take the major title int the boys under 18 final while Bimandee in a four setter game finally won 3-1 over Ladies College paddler Ayla Chitty to take girls nder 18 title .In addition both Senura and Bimandee were able to clinch a double by winning boys and girls under 15 titles respectively. For their outstanding performances by clinching double titles each, Senura Silva (Ananda) and Bimandee Bandara (Hillwood Kandy) were adjudged the best Player of the boys and girls category at this Junior Nationals which was conducted by Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka (TTASL).In fact this was Senura’s third Junior National Champion title in a row from 2018 to 2020 and all three years he was able to win the best players award. Senura and Bimandee are recipients of the Crysbro Next Champ Scholarships arranged by the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka. Both players are also selected under the High Performance Development Programme initiated by the National Sports Council.
 The boys and girls best players Senura Silva and Bimandee Bandara with their trophies. |
Meanwhile Anugi Onara of Devananda Ambalangoda and Agasthya Ananditha of Vidyartha won the girls and boys under 10 titles while Dewmeth Weerasena of Lyceum Nugegoda and Sandinithi Jayasinghe of Musaeus were able to clinch the boys and girls under 12 titles . This was the first time Junior National Championship played at the Bandaragama Indoor Stadium and the Stadium was officially handed over to TTASL by the Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa who was the chief Guest of the Final day .After a lapse of one year( due to Covid 19 ) this Junior National Championship was highly successful while 145 boys and 135 girls were competing in age group events of Boys and Girls Under 10, 12, 15 and 18.
This also a special day for the TT players as they were able to play in their own stadium for the first time . TTAL President State Minister Kanaka Herath, Secretary Reza Latiff ,State Minister Piyal Nishantha,Kalutara district MP Sanjeewa Edirimanne and other senior officials of the TTASL graced the occasion.
*Following are the results of all semi finals and finals .
U. 10 Girl’s Singles Semi Finals: Anugi Onara (Devenanda Ambalangoda) bt Menuji Weerasighe Vishaka) 3/2, Nisandi Nimthara (Southlands Galle) bt Yoshini Jayawardena (St. Anthony’s) 3/1 Finals: Anugi Onara (Devenanda Ambalangoda) bt Nisandi Nimthara (Southlands Galle) 3/0
U. 10 Boy’s Singles Semi Finals: Agastthy Ananditha (Vidyartha Kandy) bt. Danula Attanayake 3/0, Naviru Methsitha (Dharmashoka Ambalangoda) bt Rusath Wickramasinghe 3/2 Finals: Agasthya Ananditha (Vidyartha Kandy) bt. Naviru Methsitha (Dharmashoka Ambalangoda) 3/0
U. 12 Girl’s Singles Semi Finals: Sandinthie Jayasinghe (Musaeus College) bt Sinethmi Thesanya (Devenanda Ambalangoda) 3/1 , Tamadi Kavindya (Devenanda Ambalangoda) bt Bindu Jayanula (Devenanda Ambalangoda) 3/1
Finals: Sandinthie Jayasinghe (Musaeus College) bt Tamadi Kavindya (Devenanda Ambalangoda) 3/1
U. 12 Boy’s Singles Semi Finals: Dewmeth Weerasena (Lyceum) bt Janith Batugedara (Royal) 3/0, Hareen Nimdinu (Dharmashoka Ambalangoda) bt Safiullah Akram (Hill Country) 3/1 Finals: Dewmeth Weerasena (Lyceum) bt Hareen Nimdinu (Dharmashoka Ambalangoda) 3/1
U. 15 Girl’s Singles Semi Finals: Bimandee Bandara (Hillwood Kandy) bt Nadithi Rehansa (Prajapathi) 3/0 , Chameesha Thushadi (Kegalu Balika) bt Oneli Lehansa (Musaeus College) 3/1 Finals: Bimandee Bandara (Hillwood Kandy) bt Chameesha Thushadi (Kegalu Balika) 3/0
U. 15 Boy’s Singles Semi Finals: Senura Silva (Ananda) bt Vinuka Gunawardena (Royal) 3/0, Dewmeth Weerasena (Lyceum) bt Asthif Rusth (Royal) 3/1 Finals: Senura Silva (Ananda) bt Dewmeth Weerasena (Lyceum) 3/0
U. 18 Girl’s Singles Semi Finals: Bimandee Bandara (Hillwood Kandy) bt Lesanya Sethumdee (Dharmashoka Ambalangoda) 3/0 , Ayla Chitty (Ladies College) bt. Manisha Shalindi (Dharmashoka Ambalangoda) 3/0 Finals: Bimandee Bandara (Hillwood Kandy) bt Ayla Chitty (Ladies College) 3/1
U. 18 Boy’s Singles Semi Finals: Senura Silva (Ananda) bt Dhanushka Wijesinghe (Kingswood) 3/0, Hiruna Warasawithana (Ananda) bt Saluka Premachandra (Ananda) 3/1 Finals: Senura Silva (Ananda) bt Hiruna Warasawithana (Ananda) 3/0