KARACHI: Displaying better craftsmanship, the Sri Lankan boys and girls captured as many as six gold medals while Pakistan’s hopes were dashed in the four-nation South Asian Cadet and Junior Table Tennis Cham­pionships at the multi-purpose gymnasium of Habib Public School on Saturday.

The Lankans took full advantage of the absence of India from the event as their boys and girls dominated the event, equally sharing half-a-dozen finals among them that were decided on the penultimate day of the three-day spectacle.

The Lankans picked up the four team event golds in cadet boys and girls and junior boys and girls besides two doubles in junior boys and girls.

Hosts Pakistan, who had pinned hopes in prodigy Ummam Khowaja to make an impact in cadet boys team event, had to be content with three silver and as many bronze.

The Lankans fought back from 0-2 down to defeat Pakistan 3-2 in the fully stretched clash for the top two places.

Maldives is placed third on the medals table so far having seized two silvers and four bronze while Nepal is at the bottom with one silver and five bronze.

Meanwhile, individual matches in the four categories commenced on Saturday. Curtain falls on the event on Sunday.

Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) Riaz Hussain Pirzada visited the venue and watched the finals for some time. The director general of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera distributed the medals and trophies. The Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) president, S. M. Sibtain, was also present.

Results:

Team events:

Junior boys:

Sri Lanka bt Pakistan 3-0 (Krishan Wikkramathna bt Fahad Khawaja 11-4, 12-14, 11-7, 11-6; Udaya Ranasigha bt Syed Obaid Shah 9-11, 11-5, 11-2, 12-10; Supuna Warusawithana bt Abid Iqbal 11-7, 11-5, 11-13, 11-4).

Junior girls:

Maldives bt Nepal 3-2 (Nazim Aishath Rafa bt Sikka Surwal Shrestha 11-9, 11-5, 11-6; Ismail Laisn Fathuhulla lost to Sonu Thapa Magar 10-12, 9-11, 5-11; Mauz Aminath Malysha lost to Lasta Maharjan 4-11, 7-11, 7-11; Nazim Aminath Malysha bt Sonu Thapa Magar 13-11, 18-16, 11-6; Ismail Laisan Fathuhulla bt Sikka Surwal Shrestha 11-6, 11-8, 11-5).

Sri Lanka bt Pakistan 3-0 (Hansani Plumila bt Iqra Rehman 11-2, 11-7, 11-3; H.Chamathsara D. Fernando bt Kainat 11-7, 11-6, 11-5; S.T.Muthumali Priyadarshani bt Nimra Rehman 11-4, 11-9, 11-9).

Cadet boys:

Sri Lanka bt Pakistan 3-2: (Helitha Hendavitharana lost to Faizan Zahoor 13-15, 8-11, 8-11; Harshana Karadawela lost to Ummam Khowaja (2-3) 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 6-11; Harshana and Thenuka bt Faizan and Ummam 3-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9; Helitha Hendavitharana bt Ummam Khowaja 11-2, 11-9, 11-6; Harshana Karadawela bt Faizan Zahoor 8-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7).

Cadet girls:

Nepal bt Maldives 3-1: (Diksha Dahal bt Ismail Laisa Fathuhulla 11-5, 11-5, 11-6; Anju Suwal lost to Nazim Aishath Rafa 6-11, 6-11, 9-11; Diksha and Anju bt Rafa and Laisa 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-9; Diksha Dahal bt Nazim Aishath Rafa 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7).

Junior boys doubles:

Single league: Udaya and Krishan (Sri Lanka) bt Nibraas and Shaffan (Maldives) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6; Fahad and Obaid (Pakistan) bt Narayan and Bipul (Nepal) 4-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9; Udaya and Krishan (Sri Lanka) bt Narayan and Bipul (Nepal) 11-3, 9-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6; Fahad and Obaid (Pakistan) bt Nibraas and Shaffan (Malaysia) 11-7, 11-7, 11-5; Narayan and Bipul (Nepal) bt Nibraas and Shaffan (Maldives) 11-7, 11-9, 11-9; Udaya and Krishan (Sri Lanka) bt Fahad and Obaid (Pakistan) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4.

Junior girls doubles:

Single league: Hansani and Chamathsara (Sri Lanka) bt Aishath and Laisa (Maldives) 11-2, 11-4, 11-6; Sonu and Sikka (Nepal) bt Kainat and Hareem (Pakistan) 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 11-3; Hansani and Chamathsara (Sri Lanka) bt Sonu and Sikka (Nepal) 12-10, 11-7, 11-4; Aishath and Laisa (Maldives) bt Kainat and Hareem (Pakistan) 11-9, 11-5, 11-8; Hansani and Chamathsara (Sri Lanka) bt Kainat and Hareem (Pakistan) 11-8, 11-5, 11-3; Aishath and Laisa (Maldives) bt Sonu and Sikka (Nepal) 12-10, 11-4, 11-9.

Cadet boys singles:

Single league stage one: Ummam Khawaja (Pakistan) bt Sanyag Kapali (Nepal) 7-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8; Faizan Zahoor (Pakistan) bt Ritiz Joshi (Nepal) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8; Harshana Karadawela (Sri Lanka) bt Sanyog Kapali (Nepal) 11-8, 11-5, 11-9; Helitha Hendawitharana (Sri Lanka) bt Ritiz Joshi (Nepal) 11-4, 4-11, 11-6, 12-10; Helitha Hendawitharana (Sri Lanka) bt Faizan Zahoor (Pakistan) 11-5, 11-8, 12-10; Ummam Khowaja (Pakistan) bt Harshana Karadawela (Sri Lanka) 11-3, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6.

Cadet girls singles:

Single league stage one: Thanushi Rodrigo (Sri Lanka) bt Laisa Fathuhulla (Maldives) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3; Imasha De Silva (Sri Lanka) bt Aishath Rafa (Maldives) 11-8, 12-10, 11-5; Diksha Dahal (Nepal) bt Maheen Shiraz (Pakistan) 11-4, 11-4, 11-7; Fatima Khan (Pakistan) bt Anju Suwal (Nepal) 11-7, 11-4, 11-7; Imasha De Silva (Sri Lanka) bt Anju Suwal (Nepal) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3; Diksha Dahal (Nepal) bt Laisa Fathuhulla (Maldives) 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 11-6; Aishath Rafa (Maldives) bt Anju Suwal (Nepal) 11-7, 11-3, 11-4; Thanushi Rodrigo (Sri Lanka) bt Maheen Shiraz (Pakistan) 11-6, 11-5, 11-5; Thanushi Rodrigo (Sri Lanka) bt Diksha Dahal (Nepal) 11-2, 11-8, 11-5; Aishath Rafa (Maldives) bt Fatima Khan (Pakistan) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4; Laisa Fathuhulla (Maldives) bt Maheen Shiraz (Pakistan) 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6; Imasha De Silva (Sri Lanka) bt Fatima Khan (Pak) 14-12, 11-6, 11-6.

Medals table

Tabulated under, country, gold, silver, bronze:

Sri Lanka 6 0 0

Pakistan 0 3 3

Maldives 0 2 4

Nepal 0 1 5

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2016