I have struck form at right time - Deepika

Chris Dhambarage

The newly crowned national table tennis champion Deepika Rodrigo said that she has struck form at the correct time and is confident of making a huge impact at the forthcoming World Championships in China.

The 30 year old former schoolgirl of Mahamaya College Kandy representing Lake House Sports Club made a clean sweep at the recent 61st National Table Tennis Championships where she bagged a triple crown wining the women’s singles, women’s doubles and the mixed doubles title respectively.

In addition season campaigner Namal Gunasekera also representing Lake House Sports Club put up a pleasing performance to clinch the women’s veterans singles title for the fourth year.

Deepika Rodrigo said that this is probably her best period since the 2006 South Asian Games in Colombo where she won two silver medals and two bronze medals. In addition she won two silver medals at the Pakistan Invitation tournament in 1998.

Deepika Rodrigo’s success in the women’s singles event was even more significant because this was the ninth occasion that she had emerged champion.

In fact overall this was easily the most successful nationals for Rodrigo considering the fact that her husband Indika Prasad was also able to prove his class by winning the men’s doubles, mixed doubles and was the runner up in the men’s singles tournament.

Even then the former Sri Lanka number two believed that it is high time that she extended her dominance beyond the Asian Region and the World Championships to be held in China next month could be the ideal platform to stamp her class.

Rodrigo is tipped to captain the Sri Lankan squad for the World Championships and is presently training under her brother and coach Chaminda Rodrigo and her husband Indika Prasad.

She thanked the Management of Lake House for all the assistance and encouragement to complete a successful national championship and hoped that they would continue to support in all her future endeavours which will certainly help her to bring more glory to the country.

Rodrigo paid tribute to her first coach Mahinda Ellepola and also said that the recently concluded senior nationals was one of the best events conducted by the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka headed by President Rajiva Wijetunga and Secretary Ajith Gamage.