Deepika clinches a Triple Crown

Sanjaya Ariyaratne

Deepika Rodrigo of Lake House SC clinched a fine triple while several upsets were created and saw a lot of up and coming players coming to the fore this is what happened at the All Island Ranking Table Tennis Championship organized by the Kandy District Table Tennis Association and worked off at the Peradeniya University Gymnasium over the last weekend.

Deepika collected her triple by winning women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. In the women's singles final the women's national champion beat Ishara Madurangi which went to the full distance (12/10, 8/11, 7/11, 11/8, 7/11, 11/5, 11/4). Deepika partnered with Ruhansi Wijekoon got the better of U. Udagedara and Srimali Wimalaratne (11/8,11/9,6/11,11/6) in the women's doubles final. K. S. T. Chalitha emerged men's singles champion.

In the mixed doubles final Deepika teaming up with her husband Indika Prasad defeated Ishara Madurangi/ G.P.H. Sajith 11/7,11/8,11/5). Supun Sirisena (Maliyadeva College) made a big impact in the under 15 boys event ending promising run of several top players including under 15 current no. 1 Hashintha Sashiranga (Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda) to emerge champion. Nirmani Silva (Girls' High School, Kandy) created a sensation when she beat most favourite Ishara Madurangi in the under 21 girls quarter finals.

Promising young lad Sajith Priyadarshana from Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda made the most of the upsets among the best contesting in mens singles. In the pre-quarter finals he ousted current national champion Rohan Sirisena and in the quarter finals he beat fancied Sukitha Wickramanayake (Dharmaraja College, Kandy).

G.P.H. Sajith Priyadarshana was adjudged the best men's player while Deepika Rodrigo was named the most outstanding women's paddler of the tournament.

Professor Prasad Amaratunga was the Chief Guest of the occasion with DIG of Central Province Pujitha Jayasundera as Guest of Honour.

The other results (finals):

Men's singles- K.S.T. Chalitha bt. G.P.H. Sajith (7/11,11/8,8/11,5/11,11/8,11/6,11/5), Men's Doubles- N. Sampath/Indika Prasad bt. Buddhika Walagampola/Rajitha Samaraweera (11/5,11/2,12/10), Boys

u:21- Chathura Viskam (Devananda) bt. Sukitha Wickramanayake (Dharmaraja) 11/5,11/2,11/8,

under 18- H. Sashiranaga (Dharmasoka) bt. Chathura Viskam (Devananda) (9/11,11/9,11/6,11/6),

under 15- Supun Sirisena (Maliyadeva) bt. Malith Dilusha (Devananda) (3/11,12/10,11/8,15/13),

under 12- Nuwantha Niroshana (Dharmasoka) bt. H.Hendahewa (Royal) 11/7,11/9,11/5), under 10- Supun Warusavithana (Dharmasoka) bt. Udaya Ranasinghe (Vidyartha, Kandy) (12/10,9/11,11/7),

Girls' under 21- Ruhansi Wijekoon (Maliyadeva) bt. Nirmani Silva (Girls' High School, Kandy) 11/9,11/8,5/11,11/7, under

18- I. Madurangi (Devananda) bt. Tharunya Sashini (Devananda) 11/8,11/4,11/4, under 15- Nuwani Nawodya (Dharmasoka) bt. Tharunya Sashini (Devananda) (11/9,9/11,11/9,11/9),

under 12- M. Tharaki (Dharmasoka) bt. Kushani Ransara (Dharmasoka) 11/7,11/8,11/5, under 10- M. Priyadarshani (Devananda) bt. Ridmi Kannangarachchi (Mahamaya, Kandy) (11/7,6/11,11/9)