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by Chris Dhambarage

Seventeen-year-old Indika Thushara Gunapala of Vidyartha College Kandy put up a stunning performance to register seven victories at the SAF Games trials held at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium recently.

Among Gunapala's victims were four top national players skipper Thilina Piyadasa, Indika Prasad, Chalitha Ranjana and Rohan Sirisena. In fact Gunapala has been named as captain of the Sri Lanka team for the Asia Junior (South Asia Zonal) table tennis tournament to be held in Bangladesh.

Gunapala defeated Rohan Sirisena in a four setter 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, beat Indika Prasad in a five setter 5-11, 11-5, 12-10, 3-11, 13-11, beat K. S. T. Chalitha also in a five setter 10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6. He also had the better of Thilina Piyadasa 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 12-14, 11-8, beat Tharindu Samaraweera 11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, beat Chatura Dushan 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7 and beat K. S. T. Lakshan 10-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 13-11.

Thilina Piyadasa of Sri Jayawardenapura University also had seven victories to his credit against Chatura Dushan (11-3, 11-6, 11-7), Nuwan Sampath (11-8, 11-8, 11-5), Tharindu Samaraweera (11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8), K. S. T. Lakshan (11-3, 11-5, 11-5), Rohan Sirisena (11-6, 12-14, 11-5, 11-4) and K. S. T. Chalitha (11-6, 11-7, 11-4).

Meanwhile K. S. T. Chalitha Ranjana of Citi Bank Colombo completed the trials with a total of six wins to his credit. He defeated Tharindu Samaraweera 11-2, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, Chatura Dushan 11-3, 12-14, 11-5, 11-8, Indika Prasad 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, Nuwan Sampath 3-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6, Rohan Sirisena 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9.

Indika Prasad managed to register only five victories during the trials against Rohan Sirisena, K. S. T. Lakshan, Tharindu Samaraweera, Nuwan Sampath and Chatura Dushan. In addition Rohan Sirisena, Tharindu Samaraweera and Nuwan Sampath had three victories each.

In the women's trials Kalpani Herath of Girls High School Kandy had six wins including a four set triumph against the reigning national champion Deepika Rodrigo. Kalpani Herath's other victims were Madushika Kottegoda, Dilini Madawala, Namal Gunasekera, Mavulee Prajangani and Saranga de Silva. Deepika Rodrigo of Lake House SC also suffered a straight set defeat at the hands of her teammate Namal Gunasekera 9-11, 2-11, 9-11. However she ended up as the second best in the trials with four wins against Saranga de Silva, Dilini Madawala, Madushika Kottegoda and Mavulee Prajangani.

Dilini Madawala of Pushpadana College Kandy also had four wins to her credit against Mavulee Prajangani, Saranga de Silva, Madushika Kottegoda and Namal Gunasekera.

In addition Saranga de Silva of Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda recorded three wins while Madushika Kottegoda of Maliyadeva BMV Kurunegala and Namal Gunasekera of Lake House SC had two wins each.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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