The Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka (TTASL) will form senior and junior (U-19 and 15) pools in Ambalangoda, Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna to commence training under the program ‘Aim For The Stars’.
The training will begin on July 24 and will be funded by the Asian Table Tennis Union. These training sessions will continue for a period of five months from the grant given by the ATTU.
A total of 70 players will benefit from these four training camps. Nine girls and seven boys will train in Colombo, five girls and nine boys in Kandy and eleven girls and nine boys in Ambalangoda. These players were selected from the latest ranking list of 2021. Details of 20 players (10 girls, 10 boys) from Jaffna are to be provided by the Provincial Association.
The program has received its blessings from the TTASL Executive Committee headed by Kanaka Herath, the president of the TTASL. The training will be handled by ITTF qualified coaches of Level 3 and above.
A media release stated that this is an initiative of the Coaching and Development Committee of the TTASL headed by Namal Gunasekera.
Names of the players are as follows:
Colombo: Girls: Jithara Warnakulasuriya, Ayala Chitty and Minna Hasim (Ladies College), Chamathsara Fernando (Uni/Moratuwa), Oneli Lehansa, Shenali Mendis and Sandinthi Jayasinghe (Musaeus College), Tharindi Perera (V Devi/Kiribathgoda), Shamalsha Dewmi (Holy Cross/Gampaha)
Boys: Nimesh Ranchagoda, Thisas Ranchagoda, Vinuka Gunawardena and Janith Batugedara (Royal College), Dewmeth Weerasena (Lyceum International), Kakeru Hennayaka and Thisum Gamage (Ananda College)
Kandy: Girls: Thanushi Rodrigo (Mahamaya BV), Kavindi Sahabandu (Fontera Brands), Chameesha Thushadi, Navindi Seneviratne and Sadunya Eshmini (Kegalu Balika)
Boys: BNB Jayasinghe (MAS), Prasad de Silva (RDA), Chandupa Alahakoon, Dhanushka Wijesinghe, Hasitha Udara (Kingswood College), Akeshe Dimantha and Yasiru Meleesha (Vidyartha College), Matheesha Wickramanayaka (Dharmaraja College), Saifulla Akram (Hill Country In).
Ambalangoda: Girls: Erandhi Warusavithana (Raigam PL), Kavishka Kavindi, Sanduni Prabuddhika, Maneesha Shalindi, DH Kolambage, Minduli Dihansa, Lesanya Sethumdee and Divya Darani (Dharmasoka College), Nadithi Rehansa and Heshi Nirmi (Prajapathi BMV), Tamadhi Kavindya (Devananda College).
Boys: Supuna Warusavithana (Uni/Moratuwa), Imantha Udanjaya (Army), Hiruna Warusawithana (Ananda College), Vihandu Randina, Gesandu Peiris, Hasira Dinusara, Senash Parinda, Hareen Nimdinu and Chanul Dulsen (Dharmasoka College). (TBR)