Confront Hong Kong at tennis:

Sri Lanka geared for Davis Cup challenge

Angu Rajendran

As Sri Lanka takes on Hong Kong in their play offs for the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania tennis matches, a carnival atmosphere at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association prevails while our team has been practising 6 hours a day, seven days of the week for the last six weeks.

Harshana Godamanna

Amrit Rupasinghe

Dineshkanthan Thangarajan

Rajiv Rajapakse

Coach Enrico Piperno from India, is confident of our team’s performance. “The boys have been working hard; their morale is high after the win against New Zealand in March. Of course as they are playing in their home court, the climate and the courts are more familiar. Hong Kong is a good team but then so is ours,” he says.

This is the Asia/Oceania zone group II matches. The team that loses this tie moves down to group III. Our team of Harshana Godamanna, Rajiv Rajapaksa, Amrit Rupasinghe and the teenager Dineshkanthan Thangarajah are all set to take on Hong Kong and lead Sri Lanka to victory.

Harshana Godamanna - No 1 player in Sri Lanka

* the only left hander on the team

* A student of ANC, Harshana lives and breathes tennis.

* ranked number one in the country for the last five years and is in top form.

* Harshana is 25 years old and has been playing tennis for the last 22 years.

* ranked 1050 in the world

* played professional tennis in the Futures tournament for the last two and half years.

* hero - Roger Federer - “l love his personality on and off the court. Wish I can play like him one day.”

* most memorable match - “when I beat New Zealander Daniel King Turner, ranked 225 in the world in five sets in March. At that time I was not ranked at all.”

*advice to youngsters - “give your best shot always.” Amrit Rupasinghe - self motivated tennis star Age - 23 years Playing since the age of 8 years.

Ranked No 1 for the Under 18 age group - 2002,2004,2005 Been playing tennis for Bates University, USA since 2006.

Inspired to play tennis by being the ball boy for his mum’s recreational tennis games Was involved in many different sports during his schooldays - cricket, swimming , athletics, golf But tennis has always been special because he had natural aptitude and started winning matches Hero is Rafael Nadal whose commitment to tennis and hard work are very inspiring to this very self-motivated player He is rearing to go at the Hong Kong team and really win this tie.

Dineshkanthan Thangarajan - The boy from Batticaloa, ranked men’s number 2 and Under 18 No 1.

Youngest player on the team at 18 years.

Was inspired to play when his older brothers Thivakaran and Krishanthan used to go for tennis classes.

When handed a racquet, seven year old Dineshkanthan showed such promise that he was sent to Colombo for his first Under 8 tournament that he won On scholarship at St Peter’s College since year 6, under the guidance of coach Pathiraja Dineshkanthan loves tennis more than anything in the world Every win keeps him going to the next win Currently ranked no 1 in the Under 18 age group Believes that tennis is very much a mind game All good players have good shots but you have to assess the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses continuously while playing, to stay on top.

Tennis is very much like a game of chess and you have to choose every moves.

I think we have a good chance in the tie against Hong Kong.

Rajiv Rajapakse - ranked no 2 - open age group.

Age 30 years and the oldest player on the team Working at Eric Rajapakse Enjoys playing tennis Has been practising at least six hours every day for the last six weeks for this tournament All set to take on Hong kong It is traditional to have a non-playing captain for the Davis Cup team to lend that element of experience and maturity and ability to discuss with the coach and manager as to the singles and doubles players and this time it is the very experienced and oldest player on the team Aasiri Iddamalgoda.

Our National team is in top form and is the strongest side that has ever played in Sri Lanka. If they win their singles, doubles and reverse singles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday they have the opportunity to keep playing in group II and even move up to Group I after which is the World groupings.

Can our team do it? They certainly think so and we wish them luck.