Hasini Isiriwatte the swimmer turned paddler

Sixteen year old, Hasini Ikiriwatte, a Grade Eleven student of Mahamaya Girls School, Kandy is a swimmer turned, Table Tennis player and she did swimming in the primary at the under eight swimming team under the coaching of Sugath Uyanhewa, securing second place at the Central provincial Swimming meet in 2013 and in 2014 her team got qualified at the under 9 Age group championship held at the Sugathadasa Stadium Swimming pool in the 50 M. Butterfly stroke and 50 M. Breast stroke as well as the Under 9 Medley Relay Swimming event at the 41st Sri Lanka Schools Aquatic Sports competition held at Sugathadasa Swimming pool and secured the qualified standard in 50 metres Butterfly and 50 metres Breast Stroke.

Hasini started Table Tennis from 2015 onwards under the coaching of Buddhika Dikkumbura and she became Runner-up at the Central Provincial TT meet held at Doluwa Stadium in the under 10 age group. She was a member of the TT team of the school consisting of Hasini, Manohari, Tharushima and in 2015 she became the Runner-up again at the Central Province TT tournament organized by Kingswood College TT Club. She went on to win the third place at the All Island tourney held at St. Thomas’ College auditorium, Mt.Lavinia. In 2016 at the ‘Sakuna’ Challenge Trophy tournament held at Doluwa Stadium she became Runner-up in the Under 12 Age group and she became Runner-up again at the Central Provincial and YMBA TT Tournaments held at the same venue and at Peradeniya University Gymnasium respectively. In the following year in 2016 too she became Runner-up at the All Island TT championship held at Swarnapali Balika at Anuradhapura. In the year 2017 she Won the Champion TT Doubles Trophy at the Junior Cadet & Hopes Table Tennis Tournament partnered by Manidu Tharushika and in 2018 she won the Runner-up TT Title at the Kandy Mayor’s Cup tourney held at Kandy Municipal Sports complex in the under 18 age group.

She is thankful to her Coaches, School Principal, Sashikala Senadheera and POG, Nilu Wijekoon and her intention is to improve her Table Tennis ability to be a National and International TT player.