Helitha Hendawitharana and Dilani Perera won the most outstanding player awards at the Western Province Open Ranking Table Tennis Championship, held at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Stadium, Mount Lavinia.
The championship was organized by the Dinesh Deshappriya Table Tennis Foundation while the chief guest was Roshan Maddumage, the President of the Western Province TT Association.
Helitha won the U18 Boys’ Singles and Open Men’s Singles championship while he was placed runner-up in the U15 Boys’ Singles category. Dilani won the U21 Girl’s Singles and Open Women’s Singles championship while losing in the U18 Girl’s Singles final.
Surprisingly both champions lost their main age group final.
In the U15 Boy’s Singles final Dewmith Weerasena of Lyceum International School, Nugegoda defeated Helitha from Royal College, Colombo in a thrilling five sets.
Photo Album – Western Province All Island Table Tennis Championship – 2016
Dewmith, whose main category is the U 8, claimed the first set with a tight 13-11 win but Helitha won the 2nd set 07-11. The two exchanged the next two sets, Dewmith winning the 3rd 11-09 and Helitha the 4th 05-11, setting up a 5th set climax. The final set ended with an exciting 13-11 score line in favour of Dewmith.
Helitha bounced back from the disappointment with a come-back win in the U18 final. His compatriot Thisas Ranchagoda had won the opening two sets 07-11 and 05-11 but the determined Helitha bagged the final three sets 11-05, 11-04 and 11-08 to savour victory.
The youngster Helitha, punching way above his weight, then went on to win the Open Men’s final defeating Rasika Manoj of Sri Lanka Army in another five sets.
Helitha looked as if he would have it easy when he won the first two sets 11-05 and 11-04 but Rasika won the next two sets 05-11 and 11-13. In a close fifth set Helitha edged out Rasika 12-10.
Dilani was comfortably defeated 06-11, 10-12 and 09-11 by her Visakha Vidyalaya schoolmate Natasha Sandavini.
Not letting her loss be an obstacle Dilani bounced back to win the U21 final in four sets defeating Vimasha Dissanayake. Vimasha won the first set 10-12 but there was no stopping Dilani as she won the next three 11-09, 11-06, 11-07.
Dilani continued her dominance winning the Open Women’s final 11-04, 11-5 and 11-03 against Musaeus College’s Amadi Seya.
Full Results
Under 08
Boys’ Singles – Kakeru Hennayake (Ananda College, Colombo) 10-12, 11-09, 12-10 Dewmith Weerasena (Lyceum International, Nugegoda)
Girls’ Singles – Mishanthi Padeniya (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 11-2, 11-03 Yasandi Nehansa (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo)
Under 10
Boys’ Singles – Thisum Gamage (Ananda College, Colombo) 11-09, 02- 11, 11-05 Kakeru Hennayake (Ananda College, Colombo)
Girls’ Singles – Fathmath Deema Ali (Royal Institute, Colombo) 11-03, 11-06 Oneli Lehansa (Musaeus College, Colombo)
Under 12
Boys’ Singles – Senura Silva (Ananda College, Colombo) 11-02, 11-06 Kumuditha Lakshan (Ananda Sasthralaya, Mathugama)
Girls’ Singles – Oneli Lehansa (Musaeus College, Colombo) 11-07, 11-05 Pinidi Jayasinghe (Lyceum International, Wattala)
Under 15
Boys’ Singles – Dewmith Weerasena (Lyceum International, Nugegoda) 13-11, 07-11, 11-09, 5-11, 13-11 Helitha Hendawitharana (Royal College, Colombo)
Girls’ Singles – Nathasha Sandavinee (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 11-03, 06-11, 07-11, 11-06, 11-04 Jithara Warnakulasuriya (Ladies College, Colombo)
Under 18
Boys’ Singles – Helitha Hendawitharana (Royal College, Colombo) 07-11, 05-11, 11-05, 11-04, 11-08 Thisas Ranchagoda (Royal College, Colombo)
Girls’ Singles – Natasha Sandavini (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 11-06, 12-10, 11-09 Dilani Perera (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo)
Under 21
Boys’ Singles – Chathura Maduwantha (Play Grounds Table Tennis League Colombo) 12-14, 11-04, 11-09, 11-07 Manthila Sahan (Lyceum International, Gampaha)
Girls’ Singles – Dilani Perera (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 10-12, 11-09, 11-06, 11-07 Vimasha Dissanayake (Musaeus College, Colombo)
Open Category
Men’s Singles – Helitha Hendawitharana (Royal College, Colombo) 11-05, 11-04, 05-11, 11-13, 12-10 Rasika Manoj (Sri Lanka Army)
Women’s Singles – Dilani Perera (Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo) 11-04, 11-05, 11-03 Amadi Seya (Musaeus College, Colombo)
