Sri Lanka hopeful of TT gold at SAG

From a Correspondent

Shillong, Feb 4: Sri Lanka has brought its “best ever team” of table tennis players for the 12th South Asian Games 2016 and the islanders have their sights squarely on gold.

A team of 10 paddlers (five male and five female) and two officials from Sri Lanka have arrived in Shillong for the Games. Table tennis will be held from February 6-10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Sports Hall, Polo, and teams have already begun praticising at the venue.

“We want to do our level best and improve upon the standard we achieved at the last South Asian Games,” Sri Lankan table tennis team mager Commander Anil Bowatte said during today afternoon’s practice session.

Sri Lanka finished with two silver table tennis medals in the team events of the 2010 SAG in Bangladesh and this time they are looking for more.

“Hopefully we get gold this time. We are planning to beat India,” Cdr Bowatte added with a laugh. India claimed all seven gold medals at the last edition of the Games.

The Lankans have brought along a young team, with four school going paddlers in the ranks, with the youngest just 15 years old.

“The team includes our tiol champion and other experienced players. We have high expectations of them and this is our best team that has participated in such a tourment. We are very confident and need to cause an upset,” Cdr Bowatte said.