Kanaka Herath elected again as president

Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka AGM

Kanaka Herath, State Minister of Plantation, Reza Latiff and Saman Ratnayake were elected respectively as the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Sri Lanka Table Tennis Association at the Annual General Meeting held on the 31st of May 2021. Due to the prevailing Covid 19 prevention measures which prevent public gatherings, the AGM was held virtually via a zoom session.

Herath, is an alumni of Trinity College Kandy and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia where he pursued his bachelor in Aerospace and University of New South Wales, Australia reading for his Msc in Tech- Aviation.

Herath, was also the president of the previous committee. The TTASL could not conduct many programmes it had scheduled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. TTASL however conducted three ranking tournament for both men and women and two ranking tournament for both boys and girls in age groups of Under 18 and Under 15. The Junior and Senior nationals were expected to be held during the first week of June, but has now been postponed.

Herath wants to kick start provincial and district pool practices as soon as the situation is normalized and make arrangements to spread the sport to schools by providing equipment and coaches where possible. He was instrumental in facilitating the lease of the Bandaragama Indoor Sports Complex to house the headquarters of the TTASL and is thankful to Sports Minister Namal Rajapakse for granting his request.

Currently Table Tennis is among sports that do not have an indoor hall and has to depend on rented premises to conduct tournaments and pool practices. The facility at Bandaragama shall enable the sport to see national players regularly attending much needed training under the supervision of qualified coaches and be ready for competition at regional and international tournaments.

Reza Latiff (Representing the Western Province TTA) is not new to TTASL. Reza represented Isipathana College Colombo during the 1980s and Commercial Bank SC during the 1990s, held various senior positions in the association including that of the General Secretary in 1995/96, and was the Treasurer of the National Olympic Committee from 1997 to 2005.

Election Commissioner General of Sri Lanka Saman Ramanayake (Representing Future Spin TTA) was appointed as the Treasurer. Saman, an old boy of Ananda College Colombo, has been in the TTASL previously holding posts of Treasurer and General Secretary.

Vice Presidents:

M Namal Gunasekara – Women’s Working Group, L C K Liyanage – Stag TT Academy, P Sadisi Nirasha Kumari Pieris – Three Star Sports Club, H M P Lasantha Sanjeewa – Nuwaraeliya District TTA, Oshadee Owanthika Gunasekara – Tibhar Sports Club, N.B.M.B.S. Niyarepola – State Services TTA, H.D.S.P. Wijayagunaratna – Kelaniya University, Assistant Secretary – A.P.L.D. Prabath Nimesh (Playgrounds TT League)

Assistant Treasurer –

M.A.E.S. Mallawaarachchi (Sabaragamuwa Province TTA)