Table tennis players who are selected in the High Performance Development Pregramme are (from left) Senura Silva, Krishan Wickramaratne, Chameera Ginige, Milinda Lakshitha, Ishara Madurangi, Bimandee Bandara, Muthumali Priyadarshani and Hansani Piumila.  

Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka has picked eight players to be included in its High Performance Development Programme funded by the Ministry of Sports. The eight players selected in the programme are Senura Silva, Krishan Wickramaratne, Chameera Ginige, Milinda Lakshitha, Ishara Madurangi, Bimandee Bandara, Muthumali Priyadarshani and Hansani Piumila.

The TTASL in a statement said that a sum of rupees 35 million has been allocated for the programme which will run till December 2022.

According to TTASL the aim of the programme is to win medals at international events. Achieving competition success at the Commonwealth Games to be held next year is one of the main objectives of the programme. “The allocated amount will help meet the costs associated with training and coaching, equipment, international events and upkeep of players, till its conclusion,” the TTASL statement said.

TTASL said that the sport has been chosen by the National Sports Council and the High Performance Committee, chaired by Mahela Jayawardene to receive Sports Ministry help to improve standards. The National Sports Council is in the process of concluding agreements with a number of other national associations for sports.

An agreement on this regard was signed on behalf of the Ministry of Youth and Sports by the Director General of the Department of Sports Development Amal Edirisuriya and the Minister of State, Kanaka Herath, President of the Sri Lanka Table Tennis Association on July 9. Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa graced the occasion and also spoke to all the players.

In another development towards a better future for table tennis, the Indoor Stadium at the Sports Complex at Bandaragama is to be allocated for table tennis training. The complex is to be given on lease to TTASL once the renovation work is completed. The players in the High Performance pool will train in this premises which will also be the new headquarters of the TTASL. Arrangements to start construction of a hostel facility have also been finalized.

The TTASL has also formed a separate High Performance Development Committee to oversee the programme. It is headed by one of its Vice Presidents, Sadisi Peiris. The Committee members comprise mostly of former national players.