Over 600 paddlers for Junior Nationals

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent

Over 600 junior paddlers between the ages of under 10 to under 18 will vie for honours at the Annual Junior National Table Tennis Championship 2012 organised by the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka which will be worked off at the Jagath Rajapakse International Table Tennis Stadium, off Peradeniya today and tomorrow (January 4 and 5) with the first of the matches to commence around 8 am.

Jagath Rajapakse International Table Tennis Stadium is about the best equipped venue to stage a championship of this nature where the schedule is very heavy as otherwise it will spread over a number of days.

This stadium could stage 16 matches simultaneously with the latest score boards and the floor is fully carpetted which will prevent the players slipping while in play and could take their shots with risks.

There is also players dressing rooms and the state of the art toilet facilities.

The lighting facilities is also excellent and the conditions are such that it does not need air-conditioning.

The defending champions at the Junior Nationals last year was 14 year old Ruvini Kannangara of Museaus College, Colombo, who created the upset of defeating national player Erandi Warusawitharane of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda in a thriller.

But the top seed for the girls under 18 singles title is Erandi Warusawitharane with another national player 15 year old Umaya Tharaki also from Dharmasoka College as the bottom seed. Last year Umaya Tharaki won the under 15 girls singles title and on form she was selected for the World Championship held in Germany.

Erandi Warusawitharane also captained Sri Lanka Women's team in three of the side games in Germany last year while Ishara Madurangi captained the national womens team at the championship matches.

A bitter battle is in store whether Ruwani Kannangara could retain the title or Erandi Warusawitharana could avenge last year's defeat or whether Umaya Tharaki a doughty fighter could wrest the championship away from both or a fourth player could spring a surprise.

Chameera Ginige won the Junior National Singles title last year and it is still not known whether he will participate in this year's championship.

The top seed in the boys under 18 championship is in form Udaya Ranasinghe of Vidyartha College who has dominated the junior table tennis championship in 2012 winning many titles both in the under 15 and under 18 age group categories.

He will be one of the top contenders for the Junior National title this year.

The bottom seed is his schoolmate from Vidyartha College Thilina Wijesiri who has turned out to be tough opponent for Udaya Ranasinghe in many contests.

The events which are expected to be worked off are:Under 10 boys and girls singles, Under 12 boys and girls singles, Under 15 boys and girls singles, Under 18 boys singles, Under 18 boys and girls doubles, Under 18 mixed doubles. The seedings is as follows:

Top seed Boys under 10: Dewmith Weerawansa, Bottom seed Vernon de Silva

Girls under 10: D H Colombage Bottom seed Asika Sathsaraniya
Boys under 12: P D U Tennakoon Bottom seed Chatgura Gunasekera
Girls under 12: Hansani Piumila Bottom seed H S R Imasha
Boys under 15: Udaya Ranasinghe Bottom seed Chinthaka Ekanayake
Girls under 15: Muthumali Priyadharshani Bottom seed Pavani Sirisena
Boys under 18: Udaya Ranasinghe Bottom seed Thilina Wijesiri
Girls under 18: Erandi Warusawitharane Bottom seed Umaya Tharaki

Under 18 boys doubles: Udaya Ranasinghe and K Wickremaratne Bottom seed Chinthaka Ekanayake and Thilina Wijesiri.

Top seed

Under 18 girls doubles: Waruna Witharane and T Thushani

Bottom seed

N Navodaya and Umaya Tharaki