Upeksha clinches a triple at WP TT C'ships

Sanjaya Ariyaratne

TABLE TENNIS: Upeksha Fernando from Girls' High School, Mount Lavinia won a triple at the Western Province Individual Table Tennis Championships worked off at the S. Thomas' College, Indoor Stadium, Mount Lavinia over the week-end.

This two day event which was organised by the Western Province Table Tennis Association saw over two hundred and sixty paddlers taking part.

Upeksha collected her triple by winning the Open women's singles, Girls under 18 and 21 singles titles. In the open final Upeksha beat Chaushalya de Silva (Musaeus College) in a well contested five setter where she went down in the second and fourth sets but made a good come back in the third and fifth sets to take the honours with a margin of three sets to two (11/7,7/11,11/7,8/11,11/3).

Fernando took her other title in Girl's under 21 singles where she also put up a dazzling performance to beat the same paddler Chausalya in four sets. Though the former lost the first set they did well to take the other three sets in a row which sealed her victory (10/12,11/8,11/8,11/6).

Upeksha again met her closest rival Chausalya in the gilrs under 18 final and the former edged out the latter in straight sets to win the match by margins of 11/9,13/11,12/10.

Samitha Abeyratne from Royal College won the open men's singles title when he received a walk over from his team mate top seed Buddhika Walagampola due to an injury.

Dr. G.N. Lucas (Veterans Table Tennis Club) defeated his team mate Fida Hussain in a four setter final to collect the Veterans men's singles title.

Walagampola also missed the opportunity to contest in the under 21 boys singles final against his team mate Sahanaka Ganegoda due to his injury However, Sahanaka carried away the title as he received a walk over.

The other results (finals): (Girl's singles) Under 8- Chamathsara Divyanjalee (Girls' High School, Mt.Lavinia) beat Hasini Gunasekara (Visakha) (11/6, 11/3).

under-10: Ruvini Kannangara (Musaeus) beat Chamathsara Divyanjalee (Visakha) (11/4,11/5).

under-12: Zameela Jiffria (High School, Mt.Lavinia) beat Masthoora Amavi (Ladies College) (11/9,11/6)

under-15: Thilini Nadeesha (High School, Mt.Lavinia) beat Kasuni Dilshani (Devi Balika Vidyalaya) 11/3,11/6,4/11,16/14)

(Boys) under-8 singles: Rukmal Intikab (Royal) beat Amjad Majeed (Royal) (11/3,11/3)

under-10: Abdur R.Azeez (Royal) beat Chathura Avishka (Royal) 11/7,11/6

under-12: Kulanaka Asel Hendahewa (Royal) beat Osura Nawagamuwa (Royal) (11/2,11/5)

under-15: Samitha Abeyratne (Royal) beat Chirath Madurapperuma (Royal) (11/4,11/8,11/5)

under-18: Buddhika Walagampola (Royal) beat Sahanaka Ganegoda (Royal) (13/11,11/9,12/14,15/17,13/11)