by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

The initiative followed ITTF/PTT Level One Coach Education Courses staged earlier this year in January by the host nation’s Wajira Wickramasinghe. More recently in late September and early October, Malaysia’s Cyril Sen led a Basic Umpires, Referees and Tournament Organisation Course.

Proceedings in Point Pedro were conducted thanks to the support of the Asian German Sports Exchange Programme in addition to the co-operation of the Jaffna District Table Tennis Association and the Northern Province Table Tennis Association.

Overall a total of 27 competitions were staged, 15 for boys and 12 for girls. Notably, events for players as young as eight years old were organized.

Furthermore there were very creditable performances; the most outstanding received the P. N. Pestonjee Challenge Trophy.

The girls’ winner was Dilma Shehani from Sumana Balika Vidyalaya, Rathnapur, she won both the Novices Under 15 and Under 18 Girls’ Singles titles; for the boys it was Chathura Viskam from Sri Lanka Police. He secured both the Men’s Singles and Under 25 Men’s Singles titles, whilst also emerging successful in the Under 21 Men’s Doubles event.

Trophies were sponsored by Mr. P. N. Pestonjee, the Senior Director of Abans, a former President of the Board of Control in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, for the girls’ tournament, the chief guest was Mr. J. Mohan , the Secretary of the Northern Province Table Tennis Association; for the boys’ tournament it was Colonel H. M. W. K. Herath (RWP, RSP)  Brigade Commander, 551 Brigade, in Point Pedro.

Matters were administered throughout by Chandana Perera, Chair of the Organizing Committee for the All Island Unranked Championships.

2016 All-Island Novices Championships: Finals – Results of All Events