Ridmi – a promising table tennis star

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen – Kandy Sports Correspondent

Fourteen year old Ridmi Karadanarachchi from Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy, has made a big impact in the table tennis scene when she won and lost the Senior Nationals Title organised by the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka and played at the Jagath Rajapakse International Table Tennis Stadium, Peradeniya two weeks ago.

The format of this national singles championship is round robin basis and she had all her way to the finals and has to display consistency.

She was the fourth seed but there were many others above her which included the defending champion and Sri Lanka women's team captain Ishara Madurangi of Sri Lanka Air Force who had won this title for six years in a row.

That evening when the women's finals started this little girl did not have a ghost of a chance as her opponent Ishara Madhurangi was in sparkling form and was expected to run through.

This was everyone's opinion.

But little Ridmi had belief in her that she could top the champion.

When the finals began the little schoolgirl ruffled the feathers by winning the first 12/10. Perhaps this was taken as the ‘Flash in the pan.’

Then came the second set the experienced Madhurangi tried to hit back but Ridmi Karadanarachchi stopped her with some hard play which won her the battle by the comfortable margin of 11/6.

This brought the spectators to the edge seat and among them was Prime Minister's son Anuradha Jayaratne.

The third set began the little schoolgirl once again displayed her superiority and gave out her best by winning it quite comfortably 11/5 which means she stopped her opponent half way. The challenger was leading 3-0.

When the fourth set began the position was that if the little schoolgirl's wins she will be the champion creating one of the stunning upsets in local table tennis scene.

If the champ Madurangi was to retain the title she had to win this set and also the balance three. It was a decisive set and it was a ‘make or break’ situation for both.

A bitter battle was witnessed with going hammer and tonga to win the crucial set and Madhurangi using her experience and skills squeezed to a very close 14/12 win which meant she had three more sets to retain the title and another win by Ridmi will result in her being crowned as national champion.

The fifth set was also closely fought out with the set itself extending beyond the usual scoring Madhurangi scampered home with a 16/14 win. The sixth set too was fought out bitterly before Madhurangi posted a 13/11 win.

The scores were level three all.

The last set was the decider and Madhurangi once again used all her skills and experience to topple her challenger with ease 11/3. Was it her challengers who was at her wits end which brought her the win.

Did the schoolgirl take her ‘time out’ at the wrong time which cost her the title is something which is debatable.

The defending champion pulled off a remarkable victory against overwhelming odds at the start and made some sparkling play later to break up the challenge into pieces. Ridmi Karadanarachchi had belief in her and put all what she knew in the initial stages and ran short of strategy later which helped Madhurangi to overcome her talented challenger.

Ridmi Karadanarachchi just turned fourteen could play in the under 15 age group events this year too and could pose a big threat to the under 18 junior national champion for another four years if she maintains her current form.

Her past record indicates many ups and downs and at time not participating in tournaments.

She started her table tennis career as the under 7 champion at the Central Province Championship in 2007.

Her next major success was when she became the under 10 National Champion by defeating Sathya Udayangani.

At the under 12 National Championship 2009 she finished runner-up.

She roared into success in 2010 when she was adjudged the “Best Plated” at the Kandy District Table Tennis Championship after she won four titles.

She won the under 12 singles, under 15 singles and the open and the doubles partnered by her cousin Thanashi Rodrigo.

The same year she became under 12 runner up at the junior nationals losing to Muthumali Priyadarshani in the finals.

At the Triangular Provincial Tournament organized by the Old Rajans TT Club in 2012 she was adjudged the best player. She on the under 18 girls title and also the open women's title beating Buddhipani Rajaguru in the finals.

This was a tournament the best paddlers from North Central Province, North Western Province and Central Province participated.

She was the under 15 junior national champion in 2012 and was also runner-up in the Mixed Doubles with Udaya Ranasinghe of Vidyartha College.

At the senior nationals 2012 she beat top players like Erandi Warusawitharne, Umaya Tharaki Nuwani Navoddhaya, Praveena Silva, Buddhipani Rajaguru and at the league stage lost to Ishara Madhurangi and Tharinda Weerakoon making it a very hard climb for her.

She has table tennis in her blood as her auntie Deepika Rodrigo attached to Lake House nine times national champion.

Her mother Chandima was a top class player before studies and marriage took her away form this sport.

At school she is coached by Buddhika Dikkumbura and C.P. Liyanage (Assistant Coach). But she gets most of her training from her maternal uncle Chaminda Rodrigo at his residence. She gets all the support from her principal Ms. Indira Withanarachchi. She was at one time trained by the doyen of table tennis coaches in the hill capital Mahinda Ellepola who was also one time national coach.

Ridmi Karadanarachchi when she played in the historic finals this year appeared to hardly know the importance of the occasion.

She was taking everything with a smile. She is highly talented and could be a star of the future in the lines of her maternal aunt Deepika Rodrigo of Lake House.