Shanika and Prabodhana - most outstanding players

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports correspondent

TABLE TENNIS: Shanika Silva (Girls High School) and Prabodhana (St. Anthony's College) were adjudged the Most Outstanding Players in the girls and boys category respectively at the inaugural Table Tennis Championship of the newly formed Kandy District Table Tennis Association held at the Gymnasium of the Peradeniya University over the weekend.

It was a fine maiden effort by the new Association whose objective is to conduct regular tournaments to promote and uplift the standard of table tennis in the Kandy District.

To achieve this objective they have a number of past paddlers with a proven track record. Over 300 competitors participated in this championship which has been restricted to triangular events initially and more tournaments are to follow with the passage of time.

Shanika Silva who was adjudged the Most Outstanding Player among the girls did well to defeat Nadini Samaraweera of Mahamaya Girls College 3 - 0 to clinch the Girls Under 18 title.

But little Prabodhana Rodrigo of St. Anthony's College, Kandy did extremely well to not only win two titles but also to grab the Most Outstanding Player's Award among the boys.

This was indeed an excellent performance by this top ranker. He first scored a comfortable 3-0 win over Udaya Ranasinghe to win the boys under 12 title. Next he went on to win boys under 15 title by overcoming A. M. D. N. B. Athauda of Dharmaraja College 3-1 in the finals.

Prabodhana Rodrigo conceded the first game the rallied to comfortable wins in the next three games.

Top ranked Sukitha Wickramanayake of Dharmaraja College was stretched to five games by his schoolmate Hasitha Bandara before scampering home to a 3-2 win, to take the boys under 18 title. In fact Sukitha Wickremanayake won the first two games 11/8 and 11/9 but Hasitha Bandara fought back to turn the tables in the next two games 11/9, 11/9 but his opponent won the deciding final game 11/2 to grab the title in a canter. and distributed the main awards.